Latest news with #contractstalemate
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says Micah Parsons has 'to want to be paid' as he enters second phase of training camp without an extension
Dallas Cowboys training camp entered a significant new phase on Sunday as players practiced for the first time with pads. They did so as Micah Parsons remained without a contract extension. Parsons, as he has been since the start of training camp on Tuesday, was present for drills. But he was a passive participant and declined to don pads himself amid the highest-profile contract stalemate in the NFL. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, meanwhile, insisted that the Cowboys "want to pay" Parsons. He did so in a brief and not exactly clear statement to reporters, a day after Cowboys fans jeered his father and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over the absence of a new contract. "It doesn't change anything," Stephen Jones said Sunday of fans calling for the Cowboys to 'pay Micah.' "We want to pay Micah too. He's gotta want to be paid.' What does that mean? "He's gotta want to be paid" can be read one of two ways: 1: Of course Parsons wants to be paid, why wouldn't he? 2: Parsons, a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler in four NFL seasons, still has something to prove to be paid in the eyes of the Cowboys. At least in the terms that he's seeking. It's not exactly clear what Jones meant from his comments. But Cowboys fans can be easily forgiven if they take them in the vein of the more contentious second option. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Jerry Jones jeered, pelted with 'Pay Micah' calls Jerry Jones took the contentious stance from the start of training camp with bizarre comments that inaccurately portrayed Parsons as injury prone while taking a sideswipe at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. "Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're going to have him," Jones said of Parsons at a Monday news conference. "He was hurt six games last year. Seriously. I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year — Dak Prescott. "So there's a lot of things you can think about, just as the player does, when you're thinking about committing and guaranteeing money.' Parsons was not "hurt six games last year." He missed four of 17 games with injury. In his previous three seasons, Parsons played in 50 of 51 regular-season Cowboys games. He's played his entire career with elite production at the most valuable defensive position in football. Cowboys fans understand this. And they let Jerry Jones hear it on Saturday when he addressed them during a camp session that was open to the public. "Pay Micah," fans yelled at Jones alongside a chorus of boos. Jones powered through the jeering with his statement before walking off the dais to another round of jeering mixed with scattered applause. Where Parsons stands Parsons is seeking a deal that will make him among the highest-paid defenders in football after fellow All-Pro pass rushers Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt signed contracts in the offseason paying them $40-plus million per season. Watt signed a three-year, $123 million extension ahead of Steelers training camp that set the new bar. Parsons reported to training camp without his extension, but has been a limited participant since practices started on Tuesday. He watched Wednesday's session from the sideline with back tightness, but declined to call himself a hold-in. As practice escalated with pads on Sunday, Parsons was a passive participant. He showed up to the practice field without wearing pads. When hitting drills ensued, Parsons (No. 11) stood by and held a tackling dummy while his teammates took part. "Back tightness" or not, Parsons was not putting his body at risk in physical drills on Sunday in the absence of a new contract. Parsons addressed his stance with media on Tuesday when he told reporters that he was discouraged over the lack of progress on a contract extension as he approaches the final season of his rookie deal. "When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys," Parsons said. "I see T.J. got taken care of. Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of. Myles got taken care of. "He's got two years left on his deal. You see a lot of people in our league getting taken care of, you wish you had that same type of energy." As of now, that "same type of energy" remains absent in Cowboys facilities. And Parsons short- and long-term future with the franchise remains in flux.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals owner Mike Brown optimistic about Trey Hendrickson deal as players report to training camp
Cincinnati Bengals training camp is set to get underway Tuesday, but the team still faces some significant questions about which players will be there. The Bengals remain locked in a contract stalemate with All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, leading to questions over whether he'll report to camp and take part in drills. Despite that uncertainty, though, Bengals owner Mike Brown expressed optimism that a deal with Hendrickson will get done. Brown told reporters, "I think it will get done," in regards to a new deal for Hendrickson. Brown doubled down, saying the team was not looking to trade Hendrickson and is "working on getting [a deal] done." If that happens, it would end months of posturing from both sides. Hendrickson, who is entering the final year of his contract, is looking for a long-term deal after racking up a league-high 17.5 sacks last season. That performance earned Hendrickson his fourth selection to the Pro Bowl and his first All-Pro selection. After starting his career with the New Orleans Saints, Hendrickson has blossomed into a superstar with the Bengals, making the Pro Bowl in each season with the team. The 30-year-old has been vocal about getting a new deal, saying he will not play for the team on his current deal. While he was a surprise show at the team's offseason training, he skipped mandatory minicamp. That decision spurred renewed contract talks between both sides. That contract hasn't come yet, leading to questions about how Hendrickson will handle training camp Tuesday. Team director of player personnel Duke Tobin said he expects everyone "under contract" to report to the team. That would include Hendrickson, who is signed through 2025. Tobin also confirmed both sides have continued to talk about a new deal. He later added that he's not sure if they'll be able to reach a deal before the start of the regular season. Hendrickson isn't the only prominent player stuck in a contract-related tiff with the team. First rounder Shemar Stewart is the only player drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft who has yet to sign with his team. Stewart — who has been working out at his alma mater — has not signed with the team over unusual contract guarantees that are not typically included in rookie deals. Brown took a different track on the Stewart negotiations Monday, saying it was "a form of foolishness" that no agreement has been reached.
