Stephen Jones generated some buzz Tuesday when he answered questions on the Cowboys’ handling of lucrative contract extensions.
The Cowboys co-owner joined 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) Tuesday, where he was initially asked if he thought agents have figured out the team’s pattern of signing players. He said he was comfortable with how things have been handled, emphasizing how each negotiation has been different.
The conversation later shifted toward the team’s history of waiting to sign some players to long-term extensions. Jones disagreed with the notion that the Cowboys drag deals out to get media engagement.
“We don’t agree on that. We don’t drag deals out. We do deals when there’s an opportunity to do a deal,” Jones said. “Certainly, no one knows what goes on internally with a particular negotiation. Sometimes agents and players aren’t ready to pull the trigger until they see other cards play. What we’re not going to do is go out and do something that’s not responsible, just in the name of getting a deal done one month earlier.”
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The Cowboys have heard plenty of criticism in recent years over their handling of extensions for players like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. While Prescott and Lamb eventually got paid last year, the cycle continued in 2025 as standout pass rusher Micah Parsons awaits a new deal.
In terms of Parsons’ negotiations, Jones also gave a brief response to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that gained traction Tuesday morning. Schefter said conversations between Parsons and the Cowboys have “gone sideways.”
“A lot of the things you just said are mostly inaccurate,” Jones said when asked about Schefter’s reporting. “I’m not going to get into the details of a negotiation, but I’m just saying, 90% of what you just said is inaccurate.”
Parsons hasn’t practiced with the team during training camp in Oxnard, but he has attended practices and meetings. The defensive star is currently scheduled to earn $24.007 million as part of his fifth-year option.
Related:Micah Parsons’ hold-in: Everything you need to know about his dispute with the Cowboys
According to The Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, nothing of substance has occurred to lead Parsons or the Cowboys to believe a deal is close to being done.
Read more about Parsons’ training camp hold-in here.
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