With the Dallas Cowboys getting ready for training camp ahead of the 2025 season, owner Jerry Jones delivered some blunt statements on the progress (or lack thereof) toward a contract extension with star outside linebacker Micah Parsons.

Parsons is one of the top defensive players in all of the NFL, but has yet to sign a contract extension, and is currently entering the final year of his rookie deal. Other star defensive players like Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt have signed extensions this offseason, and the longer the Cowboys wait to deal done with Parsons, presumably, the higher the price will be.

Yet instead of heading toward progress, Jones said Monday at the start of Cowboys' training camp that he has not talked to Parsons's agent, David Mulugheta. Jones then went on to call out Parsons as well as quarterback Dak Prescott for being injured for part of last season.

"Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're going to have him," Jones told reporters. "He was hurt six games last year. Seriously!" 

"I remember signing a player (to become) the highest-paid player at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year," Jones said. "Dak Prescott. So there's a lot of things you can think about, just as the player does, when you're thinking about committment, guarantee, and money." 

Parsons actually missed four games, not six, as Jones suggested. Prescott did miss nine games last season after becoming the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, but him and Parsons are two different players. Parsons has actually missed just five games over his career so far, four of which came last season.

And regardless of how much time either player missed, taking aim at their injuries was not a good look. Former three-time Defensive Player of the Year and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt called out Jones for his comments on the injuries to both Parsons and Prescott last season.

"Anytime you can publicly take a dig at your star quarterback and your star pass rusher simultaneously, right before the season begins, you just gotta take it," Watt wrote on X. "Nothing makes guys want to fight for you more than hearing how upset you are that they got hurt while fighting for you."

Parsons seemingly echoed Watt's message by reposting his tweet.

It's unclear how or if the Cowboys will resolve this situation and extend Parsons, but after Monday's comments, the two sides feel much further apart than Dallas fans were hoping they would be at the start of camp.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as JJ Watt Calls Out Jerry Jones for Awful Handling of Negotiations With Micah Parsons.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate