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Jerry Jones' Bizarre Handshake Defense Makes Micah Parsons Mess Worse for Cowboys
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- Jerry Jones' Bizarre Handshake Defense Makes Micah Parsons Mess Worse for Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to put his foot in his mouth regarding the contract stalemate with All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons .
Parsons requested a trade Friday as negotiations for a new contract stalled. The four-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which pays him over $21 million this season.
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Jones initially believed he and Parsons had reached an agreement after speaking months ago, but nothing was ever documented. Parsons says when his agent, David Mulugheta, contacted the Cowboys about a contract, Jones and the front office thought it was already done.
When NFL Network's Jane Slater asked Jones why he believed a contract was agreed upon without documentation, the owner offered a bizarre comparison.
"I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake. It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later," Jones explained.
"As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money and we had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental 'I'm buying and you're going to sell it to me for that range' that's done and those are done with eye contact and handshake."
Jones claims the Cowboys have a "contract in writing" on their side.
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"Yet we're still talking about renegotiating it," said Jones. "So much for that."
Parsons has remained at training camp since his trade request, participating in walk-throughs but sitting out drills. Jones said Tuesday he's not confident Parsons will suit up for Week 1 against Philadelphia .
The contract stalemate was entirely avoidable had Jones and the Cowboys addressed it last year, but they chose to wait. Now Parsons' price tag has grown exponentially, especially after Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt signed a three-year, $123 million extension, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback at $41 million annually.
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