With mere hours to spare, the Cowboys managed to take care of their top two extensions in time for the start of the regular season. Both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have four-year extensions in hand, and they will not face questions about potential free agent departures during the 2024 campaign. 
[Offseason In Review: Dallas Cowboys]
Throughout the offseason, the Cowboys’ negotiations on the Prescott and Lamb fronts were made against the backdrop of Micah Parsons also being eligible for a new deal this year. With two years remaining on his rookie contract, it came as no surprise the All-Pro edge rusher was third on the priority list regarding an extension. With the current season underway, talks on a monster second pact between Parsons and the team will be delayed until the spring.
“Right now, it’s certainly not anything that’s on the table,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan regarding Parsons extension talks (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “Micah made a conscientious decision that he thinks he can put together an even better year. I think he got off to a great start against the Browns. I think his play speaks louder than words.
“I think he expects to have a great year under [defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer]. And then probably feel comfortable to talk about it then. Each individual is different. Opportunities come and when they are and the player feels good about something then we’ll certainly will move to do something. At the same time, sometimes players just aren’t ready yet. They don’t feel like their situation is in the right situation to start the process.”
Parsons will collect just under $3MM this season, and Dallas’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option has him on track to earn $21.32MM in 2025. A long-term extension will of course check in at a much higher rate given the nature of the edge market and the three-time Pro Bowler’s production to date. Parsons amassed 40.5 sacks in his first three years, and he added another during the Cowboys’ Week 1 win on Sunday. Remaining healthy and delivering another double-digit sack campaign would position him well for a major payday next offseason.
Nick Bosa‘s 2023 49ers extension carries an annual average value of $34MM. That figure briefly allowed him to hold the title of the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback before being surpassed by Justin Jefferson. Bosa is still the top earner for defensive players, though, and his contract could be a target for Parsons once negotiations take place. The 25-year-old said in June he was onboard with waiting out the 2024 offseason and allowing the Prescott and Lamb deals to be worked out (while also letting the salary cap jump once more before working on an extension).
Parsons has been connected to an asking price which would move him to the top of the pecking order for edge rushers, although the same was true of Lamb at one point and his Cowboys deal falls short of Jefferson’s in terms of value and guarantees. Prescott, on the other hand, secured an AAV of $60MM, moving the bar in terms of quarterback compensation by $5MM. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys handle negotiations knowing Prescott and Lamb are set to carry major cap hits for the foreseeable future while also trying to afford a massive Parsons commitment.
On his Off the Edge podcast, the Penn State product confirmed his desire to remain a Cowboy well after the 2024 and ’25 seasons (video link). Whether or not Parsons and the team can meet that goal via a long-term deal will not be known until the current campaign comes to an end, however.