Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons appeared to shut down rumors that suggested he could be traded this offseason on Monday. Rumors that the Cowboys were open to dealing Parsons emerged when NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said the Cowboys "had not closed the door" on the idea of trading him.
Rapoport spoke to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones during the NFL League Meetings in December, where Jones questioned whether it was smart to put so much money into a handful of players.
Still, Jones also told Rapoport at the time, "We love Micah. I can't imagine there's a scenario where he's not wearing a star on his helmet."
Following the reports, Parsons told Jon Machota of The Athletic, "I understand how that business side goes. There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I'm here or anywhere else. Obviously I've stated that I want to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side. I've put in a lot of work, I've played hard too, so obviously if sides can't agree to those type of things, it happens like that. But I'm just happy to be here. I'm just gonna keep playing hard while I'm here. If I'm here for the next 5-6 years, I'm gonna keep playing hard then too. Ain't nothing really gonna make a difference, Micah is gonna play hard."
On Monday, Jones and Parsons both clarified their previous statements by making their intentions clear—the plan is for Parsons to remain a Cowboy.
“We see Micah as a Cowboy for long term," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "… We’ve said all along our goal was to sign all three (Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Parsons), and that’s still our goal.”
"Like I said, I'm going to be a Cowboy for life. We're gonna figure out a way for me to be a Cowboy for life," Parsons said on The Edge With Micah Parsons on Bleacher Report. "I'm gonna be very excited at the end of this year. I hope the fans are going to be excited because I think it's going to be a great offseason."
The Cowboys cleared things up with two of their "big three" over the offseason. They signed Prescott to a four-year, $240 million deal, and Lamb to a four-year, $136 million contract in the lead-up to the 2024 season. They will look to come to terms on a deal with Parsons in 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Micah Parsons Makes Declarative Statement About Recent Cowboys Trade Rumors.
