Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is one of the few players on the roster who knew precisely what it was like to be in Micah Parsons’ shoes in August.
Prescott was given some of the same lines during contract negotiations that Parsons heard from franchise owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas brass, specifically about performing in a contract year to earn another one with more security. There was friction between Jones and Prescott when the quarterback played the length of his rookie contract and subsequent franchise tag year before signing a four-year extension on the first game day of the 2024 season.
So when Jones pulled the plug and traded Parsons — a two-time All-Pro pass rusher — to the Green Bay Packers last Thursday, Prescott wasn’t shocked. But he was surprised it unraveled so suddenly.
“I can’t say I was completely surprised, but I definitely didn’t think he was going to get traded, I’ll say that,” Prescott said. “But just with (how) their negotiations went down, obviously to some extent … it seemed like it got personal on their ends, so that’s why I wasn’t surprised.”
Prior to the trade, Prescott and head coach Brian Schottenheimer both expressed confidence Parsons would be on the field when the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kick off the regular season on Thursday night. He said he’s glad not to be fielding questions about whether Parsons will play and is more comfortable knowing his former teammate is happy with the result.
“As much as anything, it’s good that a solution happened. Micah got paid, got paid very well,” Prescott said. “Great for him and his family. We’ll see him here in about a month. Just honestly glad that, I can’t say glad, but glad that we moved past that and everybody seems happy because of it.”
Parsons, 26, continues to deal with a back injury that could impact his availability in Week 1 and beyond. The Packers visit the Cowboys for a Sunday night game in Week 4 on Sept. 28.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs still isn’t prepared to see Parsons in another uniform.
“I think everybody was surprised,” Diggs said of the trade. “I was really surprised, I really thought it was going to get done so we could just stay a family. Just him being here all his years, but unfortunately that’s not what God had for him.”
A Pro Bowl selection in each of his four seasons, Parsons has racked up 52.5 sacks through the first 63 games of his career. He was the 12th overall pick by the Cowboys in the 2021 draft.
