Cowboys Asleep On Micah Parsons While Eagles, Commanders, Giants Sprinting Toward Start Of Season

That snapshot of Micah Parsons apparently napping on a sideline training table – not in uniform, not involved, not playing and obviously not yet signed to an extension – is the portrait of the Dallas Cowboys now.

And compared to their hated division rivals, the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and even the New York Giants, it is a bad look because it shows one team in the NFC East is sleep-walking in the same way Parsons was seemingly napping. 

And everybody else is running the race toward the start of the NFL season.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 22: Micah Parsons #11 of the Dallas Cowboys lays on a training table during the second half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium on August 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

No Micah Parsons Update

The Cowboys continue to be a living, breathing soap opera complete with a Netflix Series that is doing much better in streaming than the actual football team is doing in Frisco, Texas. 

That dramatized team on the show won championships long ago. The current team that trains at The Star is losing battles before the 2025 regular-season war even begins.

How do we know this? Well, here's the latest Cowboys update:

Ain't none.

Club owner Jerry Jones weeks ago made Parsons an offer that averaged over $41 million over five years – over $207 million in total – to make him the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback. But things got sideways because Parsons understandably wanted his agent involved. And Jones didn't.

So Parsons' so-called hold-in in which he hasn't practiced, hasn't played and hasn't even put on his pads, continues even as the regular-season opener against the Eagles on Sept. 4 looms.

This situation so far has been more about drama than actual negotiations. 

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 22: 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. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

The Cowboys, The Agent, And The Truth

There's the Parsons trade request that came with the player telling the entire Earth the Cowboys had refused to speak with his agent.

There's the team's position, as described colorfully by Jones, where the agent in question told the team to shove the $200-million-plus offer up their, well, you know what.

And then there's probably the truth somewhere in the middle.

There's Parsons scrubbing his social media accounts of all things Cowboys. And there's Jones saying he expects Parsons to play on his current contract and that a franchise tag – which serves really no one in the long term – is in the offing for 2026 and 2027.

This is borderline season sabotage when measured against what the other guys are doing.

The other guys are trying to win. To succeed. They're doing things normal teams that want to maximize their chances do leading up to a season.

(Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Commanders Settled McLaurin Business

The Commanders on Monday signed their No. 1 receiver, Terry McLaurin to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $96 million.

McLaurin has been bitterly disappointed with his team, same as Parsons.

McLaurin asked for a trade, just as Parson did.

But McLaurin will be playing for the Commanders in their season opener. But there is a serious possibility Parsons could miss the start of the Cowboys season.

The Eagles have been improving their team for a couple of weeks now – at least they believe they have. They acquired receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans via trade last week.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 14: General manager Howie Roseman of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates during the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Championship Parade on February 14, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Eagles Improved Their Roster

And over the weekend, general manager Howie Roseman went nuts. He made three more trades in the span of a few hours on Sunday, acquiring quarterback Sam Howell from the Vikings, bringing back offensive lineman Fred Johnson in a deal with the Jaguars, then trading away offensive tackle Darian Kennard to Green Bay.

Roseman has made five trades the past two weeks, all to bolster his club's depth or get future draft resources in exchange for players the Eagles planned to release anyway.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, had Parsons sleeping on that sideline training table. 

Well, Cowboys fans can counter, at least they have the Giants to fall back on. But not really.

The Giants just completed an undefeated preseason. Does that mean they'll carry it over to the regular-season? No. But does it mean they're apparently pointed in the right direction? 

New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart celebrates his rushing touchdown vs. the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in the 2025 NFL preseason. (Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

Giants Found Their Quarterback

Yes, 100 percent.

What Cowboys fans would say that about their team?

The biggest drama the Giants are juggling now is how quickly they install quarterback Jaxon Dart into the lineup during the regular season. That's because the rookie just had a stellar preseason and optimism abounds.

Compare that to the Cowboys' drama. 

Compare that to Micah Parsons napping on the sideline training table.