Cowboys owner Jerry Jones calls Micah Parsons “special” but refuses to deem him "face of the franchise" in a team sport

There's always seems to be a lot of drama around the Dallas Cowboys, and the biggest talking point about the team's 2024 offseason involved contracts. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons were all eligible for new contracts, but only Lamb got his wish, and that was after missing all training camp with a hold-out.

Now, the decision shifts to Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott. While it's understandable why Jerry Jones is wary of paying the quarterback again, there's no doubt that they can't lose Parsons. When he signs an extension with the team, it will arguably be the biggest for a defender in the NFL.

Could such a special player be called the face of the Dallas Cowboys? Well, not yet. Jerry Jones believes that while his ability is undeniable there are still some things that need to happen before he talks this way about his defender:

"Micah Parsons is probably the best athlete that I've ever been around, as a player as well as being involved with the Dallas Cowboys. He's so unique. He's multifaceted. He's got a lot of angles that he looks at things just, like, he's got a lot of angles that he uses to put pressure on that quarterback.

"So he's very special. I believe that he has just started, and yes, I don't want to say face of a franchise, because it takes a lot of faces to make it roll."

Parsons was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft that instantly turned into a nightmare for opposing offenses. He was a hybrid player in his first two seasons, but now has switched to a full-time EDGE defender.

When will Cowboys' Micah Parsons become a free agent?

The year he'll be available to hit the market is 2026, but the true answer is never. The Cowboys would never let something like this happen.

Even if they can't find an agreement next offseason, they'll still have him under lock for the fifth-year and also can use the franchise tag. Unless a major breakup happens, he'll forever be part of team, and it looks like he loves to play for the franchise as well.