FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons attended the first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday and he said he will be at training camp in Oxnard, California, but he's not sure if he will take part in the practices if he does not have a contract extension.
"We'll see," Parsons said. "It's time to tell."
The Cowboys and Parsons have not had meaningful discussions regarding a long-term deal since the player and owner and general manager Jerry Jones had a meeting in March. At the time, Jones said he and Parsons had come to an agreement on the length of the deal, the guaranteed money and the average salary. Parsons has since said a deal will not be done without the inclusion of his agent, David Mulugheta, but he added Tuesday he remains "pretty hopeful" something can get finalized.
"Still hanging tight. Like I said, it's up to [Jones]," Parsons said. "He gives the green light on everything, so hopefully something's done by next month."
At issue now, it appears, is who calls whom first. Parsons has said it's Jones' call to get a deal done. However, Parsons was the one who initiated the talk with Jones in March. Asked if he could make a similar call now, Parsons said, "Next question."
Parsons and Jones met on the field for close to 30 minutes during the practice, but Parsons said the contract was not discussed.
"We were talking about how my offseason has been, the training I've been putting in," Parsons said. "He was telling me I look pretty good, so I got excited about that. Asking me about the trip I just went on. It was a pretty good conversation. Then obviously just stepping up and being a leader and how much he appreciates it. And that means a lot to me."
Parsons did not do any on-field work Tuesday but did not rule out getting some this week. He said he had some back tightness on Tuesday after working out with cornerback Trevon Diggs.
He said if his back loosens up, he would participate more. Parsons is set to play the season on his fifth-year option at a little more than $21 million. Without a long-term deal, the Cowboys could use the franchise tag on Parsons next offseason, but that would complicate decisions to made on free-agents-to-be such as cornerback DaRon Bland, wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson.
Parsons is likely to become the NFL's highest-paid defense player, topping the $40 million per year of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Last year, the Cowboys made Dak Prescott the highest-paid quarterback ($60 million annually) and CeeDee Lamb the second-highest-paid receiver ($34 million), but those deals did not come together until Lamb missed almost all of training camp and hours before the season opener in Prescott's case.
"I just keep on working," Parsons said. "At the end of the day, man, like, I still love football. I think it's still about football. [I] understand the business side always kind of creeps in every couple of years in the football world. I just keep it about football."
Parsons noted a difference in the absences from the minicamp of Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt and Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
"Those guys [are veterans] in their program," Parsons said. "I think guys like that, they already can put their selves at the top. They're great leaders for their program. I think for me, I'm still trying to grow. I'm still into my second deal. Those guys are going into their third deals, so everyone's situation is different."
The Cowboys have a full practice Wednesday and a walkthrough Thursday to conclude their offseason program. The next marker for Parsons' contract negotiations will be the start of training camp.
The Cowboys are scheduled to fly to California on July 20 with the first practice on July 22. Parsons said he has already rented a house for his family during camp and that he will be there. But will he have a contract done by then?
"Some people like to take their time more than others, can't rush the process," Parsons said. "[Jones] wants to do it as cleanly as possible. I want to do it as cleanly as possible. So it's just about getting it done as clean and as quickly as possible."