Micah Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, had a brutal message for the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones amid troubled contract talks. This comes weeks after the star defensive end asked for an out, citing issues with the negotiations.
However, coach Brian Schottenheimer said he is confident Parsons will take the field for a Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reports state that Parsons’ agent slammed Jerry Jones after he received the contract details in March. The Cowboys confirmed the claims in a recent podcast.
“When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our a**,” Jones said on Michal Irvin’s podcast.
The Cowboys boss further added that Parsons had agreed to ‘everything’, including his salary. However, Mulugheta told him that the two parties needed to keep negotiating.
“Well, I already negotiated. I already moved off my mark on several areas,” Jones said of what he told Parsons’ manager.
“So, the issue, very frankly, is that we’ve had the negotiation in my mind. The agent’s trying to get his nose in it right now and come in there and improve off the mark that we already said. We’ve got this deal resolved, in my mind, for the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones added.
“We’ve got it done and if the agent wants to finish up the details, which sure it and do all the paperwork, then he can do that. We’re ready to go. But, as far as the amount of money, the years, the guarantees, we’ve negotiated that.”
When Parsons requested a trade earlier this month, he emphasized that ‘the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract. Not one demand has been made by my agent about money, years or anything else’.
Despite his wishes, Jones has remained firm in keeping Mulugheta out of the talks, pointing to past experiences.
A day after Parsons’ trade request, Jones explained his reasoning, recalling issues that arose during Dez Bryant’s negotiations. Later, he doubled down with a vivid comparison:
“It’s the momma-daddy deal,” Jones said. “You go into momma and she won’t do it, and she’s the boss. She won’t do it, so you run into daddy and daddy says, ‘Do it.’ Then, you go back in and say, ‘Momma, daddy says it’s alright.’ It’s the ole mommy-daddy deal.”
Even as he defended his negotiating approach, Jones went out of his way Thursday to praise Parsons during a ‘FOX & Friends’ appearance.
“Micah’s a great player, not a good player but a great player,” Jones said. “He knows more than anyone that it’s a team thing. And so, I know everybody is tired of hearing this, but you got to put this puzzle together so that you can have some other people out there playing with Micah, that’s the art of the deal.
“And that’s what we’re trying to get done, and we’re trying to make this thing work. We have all the appreciation for what he can mean for the years ahead. We’re proud to have him.”
The Cowboys have echoed a similar tone publicly. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that he felt ‘good’ about Parsons’ chances of suiting up in Week 1 against the Eagles.
Parsons, 26, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and could be in line for one of the largest contracts ever awarded to a defensive player. Speculation suggests he could surpass the three-year, $123 million extension signed by TJ Watt, which made Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.