The Dallas Cowboys are set to pick up Micah Parsons's fifth-year option, first reported last night by Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
Yet, it is not as simple as it sounds.
Dallas is placing his option as a defensive end instead of a linebacker, by doing so the team will save about $2.7 million.
The #Cowboys are exercising the fifth-year option on pass-rusher Micah Parsons, per @GehlkenNFL
They are designating him as a DE rather than LB, which will save them nearly $3M. pic.twitter.com/T0HJO2cm0N
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 6, 2024
How This Works
According to Over The Cap, the fifth-year option for linebackers who have made more than one Pro Bowl is projected to be $24,007,000.
For comparison, a defensive end who's played in at least one Pro Bowl would make $21,324,000.
We all know Parsons is a defensive end rather than a linebacker, but that is what he came into the league as, and the 5th year situation is weird.
Clarity: The #Cowboys aren't the ones who decide what position Micah Parsons is classified as. That will be decided by the NFL Management Council.
For Parsons…
• The fifth-year option for the LB position is $24M.
• The fifth-year option for the DE position is $21.3M.… https://t.co/qk6Fn5Z7zI— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 6, 2024
From the reports I have read, Parsons could file a grievance due to the classification of his position.
But Pro Football Focus says he has played 87.8 percent of his snaps at defensive end in 2023, so if he or his agent filed, the team would likely win, and nothing would change.
Won't Mean Anything
Here is the thing to pay attention to.
This is just a placeholder in case a new deal does not get done next offseason.
The fifth-year option will mean nothing if Parsons and Dallas agree to a new deal that will likely make him the highest-paid defensive end in NFL history.
Parsons is already off to a legendary start.
Although he doesn't have a Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit yet, he has done just about everything else.
Over his first three seasons, he's won the Rookie Defensive Player of the Year award, two first-team All-Pro honors, one second-team All-Pro honor, and three Pro Bowl nominations.
In December of last season, Parsons joined Reggie White in the history books.
NFL Players with at least 11.0+ sacks in each of their first 3 seasons:
* #Cowboys Micah Parsons
* #Colts Dwight Freeney
* #Eagles Reggie White(h/t @FrontOfficeNFL) pic.twitter.com/iAIiLHq2cHhttps://t.co/uIrfRTNIsL pic.twitter.com/ix1yCPMgNn
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 24, 2023
He joined white as the only other player to have 12 or more sacks in each of their first three seasons played.
White did this in his first three seasons from 1985 to 1987.
He currently sits second on the all-time sack leaderboard with 198.
Micah is on a solid pace if he plays long enough to challenge White for that all-time sack record.
Tune Down The Talking
I would not trade Micah Parsons for any other football player on the defensive side of the ball, but man I hope he turns it down on all the talk in 2024.
The podcast is fine, but maybe just deflect all the hate and just ignore what all the shows like First Take, Undisputed, and others are saying about you and the team.
Keep showing up on game day and giving them a good reason to talk about you.
The Cowboys are going to be forking out a lot of money between this offense and the next.
Dak Prescott will either play on a $60 million cap hit this year or sign a new extension.
Next year, Parsons and CeeDee Lamb will get a bag, and boy is it going to cost a lot to keep the core together.
No surprise here: Stephen Jones says #Cowboys want to extend CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and … guess who … Dak Prescott.
"I certainly see these [as] we're going to figure out how to make it work."
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) February 27, 2024
Look, I want this team to win just as the next person, but even with the $30 million increase in cap space, I hope they make a splash this offseason.
You might have Prescott, Micah, and Lamb together, but the others are going to leave soon. Brandin Cooks should be back, and I want Stephon Gilmore to be re-signed also.
Trevon Diggs will return in 2024 from his torn ACL, and hopefully, the rest will fall into place.
Not sure what else needs to happen, but this team has the players, yet they fall short every year.
Jerry Jones can tell us they don't have a culture problem all he wants, but we know it starts at the top with him and his son.
