The ongoing contract feud between the Dallas Cowboys and star pass rusher Micah Parsons has taken an unexpected turn.
Parsons is in the final year of his rookie contract and has been seeking an extension. He announced on Friday that he has requested a trade and criticized the way the Cowboys have handled the situation. Parsons said he does not appreciate Jerry Jones and company trying to hold him to closed-door negotiations that unfolded without his agent present.
Parsons is represented by agent David Mulugheta. Jones has been openly dismissive of Mulugheta’s role in contract negotiations. When asked on Saturday why he insists on dealing directly with Parsons rather than working with Mulugheta, Jones made reference to when he dealt with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation sports while working through a contract extension with former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant in 2015.
“Because when we have a problem with the player, the agent is nowhere to be found. Jay-Z said that Dez would make all meetings. Jay-Z and I negotiated the contract, spent hours,” Jones said. “He said, ‘Anybody in my organization is on time.’ He said, ‘My office used to be on the street corner, and I’ve always been early. So, they will be on time.’ And what did I say? I said, ‘I’m going to call you [when I have a problem].’ He quit taking my call.”
Jerry Jones' answer on why he doesn't want to deal with the agent of Micah Parsons in this negotiation involves street corners, Jay-Z and Dez Bryant:
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 2, 2025
“Because when we have a problem with the player, the agent is nowhere to be found. Jay-Z said that Dez would make all meetings.…
Bryant, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Cowboys in July 2015, was quick to respond. He threatened to expose some of the issues he had with Jones if the 82-year-old was not careful. Bryant wrote in one X post in all caps that it is not “smart to mention my name.”
“Yall don’t understand the amount of sh– I let slide … do not mention my name about s–. The love hate relationship is real!” Bryant wrote in a different post on X (edited by LBS for profanity).
Then on Sunday, Roc Nation Sports issued a statement responding to the claim from Jones.
“In 2015, at The 21 Club, on a napkin, Jerry Jones, Juan Perez, Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter, and Stephen Jones negotiated a five-year, $70 million deal, which included a $45 million guarantee and a $20 million signing bonus for Dez Bryant. At the time, it was the second-largest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history.
“The claim that Mr. Carter or Roc Nation representatives did not return a call from Jerry Jones is not only a false statement, but it’s also a comical one.”
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) August 3, 2025
Parsons said he had a conversation with Jones in March about leadership. Jones took that opportunity to discuss Parsons’ contract, and the 26-year-old said he expressed what he was looking for in a new deal. Parsons did not, however, consider the conversation to be a formal contract negotiation. Jones apparently did.
Parsons is set to make just over $24 million this season under the fifth-year team option of his rookie contract. He has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since his rookie season. The 25-year-old has 52.5 sacks through his first 63 NFL games, including 12 in 13 games in 2024.
Jones has continued to take shots at Parsons even after the trade request.
