Micah Parsons eats pregame nachos, rests on medical table as Cowboys contract drama takes wild turn

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Micah Parsons’ contract standoff with the Cowboys took a bizarre turn thanks to his antics at the team’s final preseason game Friday night.

The two-time All-Pro was seen walking the hall of AT&T Stadium eating nachos before the Cowboys clashed with the Falcons.

One Atlanta fan yelled for him to join their franchise, to which Parsons made the” call me” gesture.

5 Micah Parsons with his nachos. @toddarcher/X

Things got stranger as Parsons, the only player not in uniform, arrived at the field.

The 26-year-old linebacker, who is a hold-in during training camp, dressed in a navy hoodie with gray sleeves and was later seen resting on the medical table as the Cowboys were on offense.

Parsons, who is seeking a lucrative multi-year contract extension, explained his actions on social media after the game in response to a post by Dallas sports anchor Mike Leslie saying he was only lying on the table for a “relatively short portion” of the game in an attempt to add some context.

5 Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons lies on the medical table during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. AP

“I actually appreciate this. The way media shapes perception and narratives is wild—and if he hadn’t said anything, everyone would’ve just run with it,” Parsons said.

“I’d never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives.”

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters he was unaware of what Parsons was doing because he was focused on the game, a 31-13 win.

5 Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons lies on the medical table during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. AP

Parsons did not speak to reporters after the game, but cornerback Trevon Diggs put Parsons’ availability for Week 1 in doubt beyond his contract status.

Diggs revealed Parsons had an MRI on his back.

5 Micah Parsons indicates to a fan that the Falcons should call him after the fan suggested he land in Atlanta. @toddarcher/X

“It depends on how his back feels,” Diggs said. “I know he was real sore this morning. He went and got it checked out. That’s the last thing I heard from him.”

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said Parsons’ back issue is just part of the negotiation tactics.

Jones addressed the contract stalemate and Parsons’ trade request Friday.

5 Micah Parsons #11 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from his team’s bench during the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium on August 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images

He said they don’t plan on trading Parsons, calling any talk of it “BS.”

He put some of the blame on Parsons’ agent David Mulugheta, saying he told the Cowboys to stick their offer “up our ass.”

“We were going to send it (an offer) over to the agent and the agent said don’t bother because we’ve got all that to negotiate,” Jones said on Michael Irvin’s podcast. “Well, I’d already negotiated. I’d already moved off my mark on several areas. And so, the issue is frankly that we already had the negotiation in my mind, and now the agent is trying to stick his nose in it.”

Mulugheta said that “never happened” to ESPN’s Ryan Clark.

“This is just another public way to make this situation, which is already ugly, even uglier,” Clark said in a video posted to X. “David Mulugheta in no way has ever told Jerry Jones or any other general manager or owner that. It’s all bull crap. It’s all lies.”

Parsons is set to play on his $24 million fifth-year rookie contract option this season and is likely seeking a deal similar to T.J. Watt’s three-year, $123 million pact with the Steelers.

The Cowboys could franchise tag him for the next two seasons to keep him from hitting free agency.

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