Cowboys' Micah Parsons' trade request is 2 years in the making
originally appeared on The Sporting News

Micah Parsons made his trade request last week.

But it's been a long time coming for the Dallas Cowboys' superstar.

And maybe, just maybe, that's what should have Jerry Jones concerned.

This wasn't a spur of the moment move by Parsons. It wasn't just based on a few weeks or even a few months of failed contract negotiations.

According to Pro Football Talk, Parsons' agent first opened dialogue with the Cowboys on an extension after the 2023 season. 

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The interest would've then continued throughout the 2024 offseason leading into the 2024 season, and now at the end of the 2024 campaign into the 2025 offseason with the season fast approaching.

It's not like contracts are secret. Everyone knew Parsons' fifth-year option for $24 million would take place in 2025, and that after that, he'd need a new deal.

Maybe it wasn't always certain that Parsons would have to be the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL, but that's been clear for a while, and it certainly is now.

Sure, the Cowboys had other business to attend to. They left Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb's big contracts until very close to the 2024 season opener, but they got those deals done.

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But the next biggest priority should always have been Parsons, and somehow it has reached this point.

Maybe it's not the point of no return, but it's certainly the point of quite the concern.

Parsons' statement on social media was too long and too detailed for this to be a petty move. There's real feeling here, and it's not obvious that the Cowboys can win out here.

It has the potential to be a franchise-defining outcome in Dallas, and it's been moving toward this for a while.

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