“I’ve spent five, six hours with him myself. Had a lot of discussions, most of the issues we’re in agreement on, and I’ve discussed it all.” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said about the progress he has made on Micah Parsons’ contract extension. It’s safe to say Parsons is only weeks, if not months, away from landing a historic contract extension with the Cowboys. He has been consistently predicted to land a deal worth over $40 million annually. So, Parsons’ NFL and financial future might be sorted soon enough. However, he is still adamant about having a backup plan beyond the gridiron.

Parsons has been a constant victim of criticism for his foray into podcasting while still being an active player. Cowboys All-Pro linebacker, who runs his “The Edge with Micah Parsons” podcast in partnership with Bleacher Report, got slammed by Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. He apparently took a jab at Parsons, trying to build a career in podcasting, too. “He’s a great player. But guys, let’s do more. Let’s play more football and less podcasts,” Taylor said. After seeing himself getting criticized out of nowhere, Parsons also questioned the motive behind those criticisms.

“Lol, I wonder do people hate my podcast because it’s actually good or do people hate it because it’s bad? Because hella people in the nba and NFL have podcast and no one has a problem,” Parsons wrote on X. Well, almost two months later, Parsons saw the perfect opportunity to hit back against his critics. After it was reported that Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe is allegedly close to agreeing to a whopping $100M media deal, Parsons retweeted that post.

He simply wrote, “Stop the podcast Micah’ ye Ite..” likely indicating the ever-growing sports media landscape. With that retweet, Parsons obviously wanted his critics to know how popular podcasters can be, as Sharpe also runs his Nightcap podcast. But again, there was a fan who seemed to question Parsons’ commitment to football after seeing his retweet. “So you’d rather make money podcasting then playing pro ball?” To this, Parsons had the perfect answer that can stop those critics once and for all.

“No, just set up my life for after football!! The NFL is unforgiving and each year is never guranteed!! Most players make that mistake thinking the NFL last forever, and it doesn’t!” Parsons mused. Translation? He already has a retirement plan in his mind. And that doesn’t involve sitting back at home once your NFL career is over. Parsons wants to build a name for himself in the media landscape so that he won’t have to worry about money once his NFL contracts expire.

Parsons also added to his thoughts, saying, “You’ll be amazed about how many former players wish they got active in media before they retired. And that’s coming from legends of the game!” Those regrets are not something Parsons wants to go through once his gridiron chapter is over. That’s why he is more motivated than ever to continue making waves as a podcaster. Actually, Parsons may not have to worry about money anymore. With his historic contract extension around the corner, Parsons can chill for now.

Micah Parsons and the Cowboys etch closer to a mammoth contract extension

Still only 26, Parsons already has 4 consecutive Pro Bowls and 2 First Team All-Pro honors to his name. In his 4 seasons with the Cowboys, Parsons has 52.5 sacks and over 250 total tackles. Last year, even though he couldn’t play the first 4 games, Parsons still finished with 12 sacks in 13 games.

Over the past four seasons, there hasn’t been a more consistent performer like Parsons in Dallas. So, if it’s not him, then who else deserves a big paycheck? Even Dak Prescott, the NFL’s highest-paid QB, knows Parsons just to stay patient, that’s all. Prescott said last week that Parsons needs to “Stay positive. Understand and make sure that his team knows what he wants and what he believes.”

Parsons’ commitment to the Cowboys has been undeniable. There were questions about whether he would be present in the Cowboys’ voluntary workout program. But Parsons, who apparently prefers skipping offseason workouts, was present in Brian Schottenheimer’s camp. So, this only proves Jones’ statement that Parsons and the Cowboys are close to agreement. It’s only a matter of finalising the small details. Once those are sorted, Parsons would definitely be the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB in history. And it will be totally worth it.