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The rift between the Dallas Cowboys and star defensive end Micah Parsons appears to be widening, with ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter reporting that the two sides are “headed towards divorce.”
Speaking on ESPN, Schefter revealed that contract negotiations between the Cowboys and Parsons have stalled since late March or early April, suggesting a breakdown in communication that has turned personal.
“You can’t get a deal done if you’re not even talking, and the two sides haven’t had any negotiations since late March or early April,” Schefter said. “And it sounds like at this point it’s personal. It sounds like each side is dug in. The Cowboys have come out and said what they said publicly at the start of training camp, which Micah didn’t like. Micah came out and asked to be traded, said he was ready to move on from Dallas, which I’m sure they didn’t like. And right now both sides seem to be angry.”
The current state of relations between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys.
https://t.co/Jev02smEr9 pic.twitter.com/7QL3fxdZ1R
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2025
Schefter added that while some contract disputes have been resolved in the past, the situation with Parsons feels different.
“Now other people have put those feelings aside in the past and figured out a way to work out a deal? Yeah. I don’t see that happening here. I see these two sides headed towards divorce in time.”
Parsons, 26, formally requested a trade from Dallas earlier this month. He cited frustrations over behind-the-scenes contract discussions, treatment by the organization, and media narratives in his public statement. The Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option, which carries a $24 million cap hit for the 2025 season. However, Parsons is reportedly seeking a long-term extension that reflects his status among the NFL’s elite defenders.
Schefter emphasized that the key question is no longer if the two sides will part ways, but when and how.
“The only question is when is that divorce going to happen and how is it going to happen? Are they going to trade him now? Are they going to trade him after this year? Are they going to move on when?” he said. “But it certainly doesn’t feel like these two sides want to enter a long-term relationship together. That’s the way it feels today, and we’ll see if they do anything to change that before the regular season begins in a couple of weeks.”
As speculation grows, other teams around the league are monitoring the situation closely. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport noted on The Pat McAfee Show, that the Green Bay Packers are expected to be among the teams most interested in acquiring Parsons should the Cowboys decide to move him.
“I would expect that the Packers would be among the teams interested,” Rapoport said. “They have paid Jordan Love,...
