Micah Parsons shows up for minicamp with Cowboys, has lengthy chat with Jerry Jones

FRISCO, Texas (AP) - Micah Parsons showed up for mandatory minicamp with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday and had a long conversation with owner Jerry Jones on the practice field while his teammates went through drills.

The discussion went on for about 30 minutes, and the two-time All-Pro edge rusher said none of it was about the contract extension he hopes to sign soon.

Parsons is going into the final year of his rookie deal, just as CeeDee Lamb was a year ago when the star receiver stayed away from the Cowboys throughout the offseason and training camp before agreeing to a $136 million, four-year contract less than two weeks before the season.

While Parsons’ presence wasn’t constant during the voluntary portion of the offseason, he said he had no plans to skip mandatory sessions, including when the club reports for training camp in California next month.

When asked if that meant practicing on the West Coast without a new contract, Parsons said: "We’ll see. Time will tell."

Parsons didn’t practice Tuesday, saying he had some back tightness after working out with cornerback Trevon Diggs, who also was present but not practicing as he recovers from another knee surgery. Diggs had been rehabbing away from the team before this week.

It’s unlikely Parsons will do any significant on-field work this week, which will then start the clock on trying to get a deal done before camp.

"I just keep on working," said Parsons, who is set to earn $24 million on the fifth-year team option for the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft. "I think it's still about football. I understand the business side always kinds of creeps in every couple of years in the football. I just keep it about football."

Parsons said the conversation with Jones involved his offseason, with the club’s general manager telling the former Penn State standout he looked good, and that he appreciated Parsons showing up for minicamp.

Parsons is waiting for Jones to budge on a contract that could exceed the highest non-quarterback deal in the NFL, currently Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase with a $40.25 million average per year. Cleveland edge rusher Myles Garrett recently agreed to a deal worth $40 million per year.

"That's what it kind of comes down to," Parsons said on waiting for Jones and agent David Mulugheta to strike a deal. "He gives the green light. He's the owner. He's pretty much what it takes to get anything done anywhere around here. It's up to him. But I'm going to keep showing up and preparing like any other year."

Parsons finished with 12 sacks last season despite missing four games with an ankle injury. He and Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only players since sacks became an official stat in 1982 to record at least 12 in each of the first four seasons. Parsons has 52 1/2 for his career.

Two of the league’s other best pass rushers, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson, are sitting out minicamp while wanting new contracts. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17 1/2 sacks last season. Parsons was fifth.

"I think everyone's different," Parsons said. "Guys like that, they already put themselves at the top. They're great leaders for their program. For me, I'm still trying to build. Those guys are going into their third deal."

First-year coach Brian Schottenheimer asked Parsons to show up at the beginning of the offseason program, and the four-time Pro Bowler did. The coach had every indication Parsons wouldn’t skip minicamp, and he didn’t.

"I think it just shows you that he's serious about what we talked about, which is developing that leadership mentality, the mindset to be a guy that we can count on not just the fourth quarter when he's got to make a big sack or get pressure on the quarterback but just in general throughout the course of a week," Schottenheimer said.