Big D’s Jerry Jones is making headlines once again for his penny-pinching ways. Owner Jones might want to stop playing hardball with his star players because the heat’s rising in Dallas. With CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Micah Parsons in the mix, the Cowboys’ front office is walking a serious tightrope.

In a GetUp ESPN Twitter post, former defensive tackle Boomer McFarland didn’t hold back, saying Dallas should’ve already locked in both Lamb and Parsons’ deals by now. “As far as CeeDee Lamb is concerned, I think the blueprint’s kinda laid out. I can’t see why CeeDee Lamb hasn’t been paid like other wide receiver contracts,” McFarland said.

“Lamb has the resolve where he probably just won’t show up. Also, I’ll tell you the most surprising thing about this is with Micah Parsons. We talked a lot about CeeDee Lamb and Cowboys, but Micah’s situation slipped aside. I don’t think there’s any shape, way, or form we can see Micah Parsons not being a Dallas Cowboys,” continued McFarland.

Dallas’ star linebacker is entering the fourth year of his $17 million rookie deal. And he’s very much looking like the defensive future of this team. But while Parsons is chasing a legacy, Jones seems content playing contract roulette. For a guy like Parsons, who’s racked up 26.5 sacks in just two seasons, you’d think getting him signed would be priority number one.

Then there’s Lamb. Despite being the WR1, Jones shrugged off getting his deal done, even as the wideout tossed a “lol” at the owner’s casual approach. Lamb’s numbers—2,760 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons—don’t exactly scream wait around. As McFarland rightly noted, “I can’t see why CeeDee hasn’t been paid,” especially with receiver contracts blowing up lately (well, hello, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith!).

The thing is, this isn’t Jerry Jones’ first rodeo with ticking off players. Remember “Zeke who?” during Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout in 2019? ProFootballTalk’s analyst Mike Florio called out Big D’s owner for dragging his feet on securing these star players’ futures. “When in the hell of a Cowboy is going to get their young star players taken care of,” Florio vented, clearly frustrated with the delays. “When are you going to get CeeDee lamb? And then there’s Micah Parsons. You just got to hand him the checkbook and give him whatever he wants!”

Whether Jones opens that checkbook anytime soon is still up in the air, but what about Micah Parsons? He’s laser-focused on chasing his legacy.

Parsons prioritizes legacy, keeping his eyes on wins over contract talks

Dallas’ star, LB Parsons, ain’t sweating his contract situation. Even though he’s behind Lamb and Prescott on the Cowboys’ extension list, Parsons can’t see himself playing anywhere else. “When you talk about career and legacy, I don’t think there’s a better career you can have than when you’re playing for the star,” Parsons said. “You look at [Jason] Witten, you look at Michael Irvin, you look at Emmitt [Smith], you see they’re still in the community, still active. The star holds so much weight and the legacy that brings.”

The Cowboys already picked up his fifth-year option in the spring, keeping him locked in through 2025—with a scheduled $21.32 million paycheck that year (if he doesn’t sign an extension). Parsons’ resume speaks for itself—40.5 sacks in his first three seasons, a Pro Bowl nod every year, and first- or second-team All-Pro selections. Twice, he’s finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Despite all the hype around his future contract, the 25-year-old LB keeps his focus on-field. “Winning games is what I need to take care of,” he said. “Jerry [Jones] can handle all that other stuff.”

With players like Justin Jefferson setting a new pay bar ($35 million per season), Parsons could easily top that next offseason. But for now, he’s locked in on making plays, not paydays.