Cowboys owner Jerry Jones cites Emmitt Smith's holdout to justify delaying Micah Parsons' deal

With Micah Parsons escalating tensions over a long-anticipated contract extension, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is digging in. He is drawing on a decades-old playbook that once saw Dallas stumble before finding Super Bowl glory.

At training camp last week, Jones leaned on organizational memory to explain the Cowboys’ methodical approach. He referenced Emmitt Smith’s 1993 holdout. It was a flashpoint that ultimately ended with Dallas hoisting another Lombardi Trophy. He used these situations as a reminder that slow negotiations don’t necessarily lead to lost seasons.

"It took a long time with Emmitt Smith," Jones replied when asked about the extended Parsons negotiations, according to USA TODAY.

"Same thing with (Zack) Martin two years ago. (CeeDee) Lamb last year. When you have the ability for players under contract to basically renegotiate or say, 'I'm not going to play the contract,' then you have those things happen."

NFL: Dallas Cowboys Training Camp - Source: Imagn

The process has reached a boiling point. Micah Parsons, a two-time All-Pro and arguably the most disruptive defender in football, stunned fans Friday with a cryptic social media post interpreted as a trade demand. While insiders suggest Dallas has yet to formally negotiate with Parsons’ agent, frustration is mounting as the linebacker watches the market evolve around him.

Parsons is under team control through 2025 via his fifth-year option, which boosts his salary to just over $24 million next season. Still, with pass-rusher salaries climbing rapidly, T.J. Watt averages $41 million annually, Parsons has little interest in waiting until free agency to be rewarded.

Jerry Jones defends waiting strategy with quarterback comparison

NFL: Dallas Cowboys Training Camp - Source: Imagn

Jerry Jones has presided over some of the league’s most high-profile contract standoffs, from Dez Bryant to Zack Martin. But the comparison to Emmitt Smith’s saga in the context of Micah Parsons isn’t incidental.

In 1993, the Cowboys opened the season 0-2 while Smith sat out. That rough start quickly ended when the team signed their star running back and steamrolled to a title.

"It's almost akin to an option quarterback," Jones said. "He can step out, he can either hand it to that guy going down the line, or he can come on out and keep it, or he can pitch it. Three different things. The longer you give him to get to the sideline, the better chance you've got to make the better play."

Micah Parsons, of course, isn’t holding out entirely; he reported to camp, though he hasn’t participated in practices. This tactic, often referred to as a “hold-in,” reflects how players apply pressure without risking fines under the collective bargaining agreement.

Jones doesn’t appear shaken. Addressing reporters on Saturday, he told fans not to “lose any sleep” over Parsons’ public frustrations. The Cowboys, he implied, are comfortable waiting.

And they can afford to. Between the fifth-year option and potential franchise tags, Dallas could theoretically control Micah Parsons’ rights through the 2027 season.