Micah Parsons trade rumors: Tracking latest reports on Cowboys star amid contract dispute with Jerry Jones

Cowboys star Micah Parsons says he wants out of Dallas, but is his trade request anything more than a negotiating ploy?

Jerry Jones continues to be confident a deal will get done to keep Parsons in a Cowboys uniform long-term, but the former All-Pro pass-rusher isn't budging to this point — and the bad blood between the two sides raises questions about how likely an extension is as the season approaches.

Parsons became extension-eligible after the 2023 season, but 2024 came and went without a new deal, as did the bulk of the 2025 offseason. Parsons can play for the 2025 season on his fifth-year option, but he has made it clear he prefers a trade over another season in Dallas without long-term security.

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The Sporting News is tracking the latest trade rumors surrounding Parsons as his stalemate with the Cowboys continues. 

MORE: Full timeline of Micah Parsons' contract dispute with Cowboys

Micah Parsons trade rumors

Jerry Jones pours cold water on Parsons trade talk

• Date: Aug. 2
• Source: Jerry Jones

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shrugged off Parsons' trade request on Saturday, telling reports that the development was just a regular part of contract negotiations.

"Don't lose any sleep over it," Jones said. "That's the one thing I would say to our fans, 'Don't lose any sleep over it.'"

The Cowboys have a history of taking major contract talks right up to the start of the season, though Parsons has gone a step further than recent Dallas stars who negotiated new deals by publicly saying he wants out. 

Executives don't expect Cowboys to trade Parsons

• Date: Aug. 1
• Source: Jeremy Fowler and Todd Archer, ESPN

While executives are shocked that the Cowboys continue to take the same approach with their stars, they don't necessarily believe the Parsons saga will culminate in a trade, ESPN reports.

"A separate NFC exec said he does not believe the Cowboys will trade Parsons," ESPN reports, noting that a deal would be difficult to execute due to the draft capital and mega contract required to get it done.

Teams planning to check in on Parsons' availability

• Date: Aug. 1
• Source: Dianna Russini, The Athletic

While the Cowboys don't plan to fulfill Parsons' trade request, teams are planning to check in on his availability, according to Dianna Russini. Acquiring Parsons would likely require a massive haul even if Dallas was ready to make a deal, but prying him away from the organization that drafted him is likely to be difficult unless the relationship between the two sides breaks down even further. 

MORE: Examining potential Micah Parsons trade packages

Will Cowboys trade Micah Parsons?

The Cowboys continue to insist they will get a deal done with Parsons. While Dallas didn't immediately comment on Parsons' trade request, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported the team had no plans to trade the 26-year-old, and Jones told reporters the request "is just a part of negotiation." 

"Don't lose any sleep over it," Jones said. "That's the one thing I would say to our fans, 'Don't lose any sleep over it.'"

Still, teams quickly checked in on Parsons' availability, according to Russini. Until a new contract gets done, the bridges evidently burned between the Cowboys and Parsons at least keep the possibility of a trade on the table.

It's worth noting, however, that the Cowboys have taken contract negotiations down to the wire before. Ezekiel Elliott held out for his new deal in 2019 until the week of Dallas' season opener, while CeeDee Lamb's holdout in 2024 lasted until the last week of August. The Cowboys are quite comfortable waiting deep into training camp to get mega deals done, though neither Elliott nor Lamb ever requested a trade. 

Micah Parsons landing spots 

Chargers

The Chargers are looking to stand out in a division loaded with major names and high-profile quarterbacks. They also have the third-most projected cap space entering the 2026 offseason. Why not make a splash and add a player who can make Patrick Mahomes' life more difficult? 

L.A. has plenty to offer Parsons, between location, chances of contending, playing for Jim Harbaugh and plenty of money available long-term. The Chargers also have a need at the position with Khalil Mack taking his career year-to-year at this point and Tuli Tuipulotu perhaps the only starting-caliber option still standing if Mack retired or left after 2025. 

Seahawks

The Seahawks got by fine with Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Leonard Williams all getting to the quarterback in 2024, and they added Parsons' former teammate Demarcus Lawrence this past offseason to help defend against the run. None of those players can disrupt the way Parsons can disrupt. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive-minded leader, and there's no doubt he would be thrilled to have a defensive anchor like Parsons for years to come.

Seattle has the sixth-most cap space available this coming season and 10th-most projected cap space available entering the 2026 offseason, so fitting in a new deal for Parsons is realistic. 

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Bears

The Bears might have to move some things around financially to make a Parsons deal work, but they are another team that hopes to contend despite pass-rushing questions. Montez Sweat was heavily disappointing in 2024 after a stellar finish to 2023. He's looking to bounce back under new DC Dennis Allen, while new addition Dayo Odeyingbo is hoping to take advantage of a featured role next to Sweat, but Parsons is on a completely different level than both players and would signal that the Bears will stop at nothing to compete in a loaded NFC North. 

Colts

The Colts have gotten a combined 16.5 sacks out of Kwity Paye over the last two seasons and have second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu set for a large role this season, but the pass-rush has been lacking in Indianapolis for a number of years — and neither of those pieces rival the kind of impact Parsons can make.

It's unlikely the Colts go very far until they get their passing game in order, whether that's with Anthony Richardson or someone else under center, and that could make the idea of trading a premier draft pick for Parsons a major risk. Would it be safer for the Colts to hold onto their top 2026 pick in case they need to draft a quarterback? Possibly.

Chris Ballard knows, however, that he might not be in a position to make that pick if Indianapolis' season goes off the rails, particularly after the death of the loyal Jim Irsay. Adding Parsons to the defense would give the Colts a chance to keep up with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter in Houston or Josh Hines-Allen in Jacksonville.

Micah Parsons contract projection

Reports all along have indicated Parsons is aiming to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. After a recent three-year, $123 million extension for Steelers star T.J. Watt, that means his new deal would have to exceed $41 million per year.

Over four years, a hypothetical $42 million annual salary would come out to a four-year, $168 million deal. $42 million annually over five years would amount to $210 million, which would exceed Nick Bosa's defensive record of $170 million on the five-year deal he signed in 2023. 

Guaranteed money could also be a sticking point for the Cowboys. Garrett's deal is 77 percent guaranteed, while Watt's deal is 88 percent guaranteed but spans one fewer year. 

Parsons said after Garrett's deal that a $40 million annual salary was what he was looking for. "I think if I had $40 million, I’d be the happiest man alive," Parsons said in March, months before Watt signed his new deal and raised the ceiling for defensive players.