As far as the Dallas Cowboys’ immediate future goes, this is a critical moment.

They are letting their franchise quarterback play out his deal, rather than extending Dak Prescott and freeing up salary cap money to recruit talent that would help them make a run at a Super Bowl in 2024.

Prescott is now expected to win this season despite having significantly less talent than he did the previous one since players left during free agency. In either case, after 2024, there’s a good chance he walks and signs with another organization.

Five 2023 starters have already left the team, including running back Tony Pollard and sturdy left tackle Tyron Smith. The Cowboys have made very few additions via the free-agent market and have chosen not to hire a new head coach and fire Mike McCarthy, the one move that could have kept the team intact while simultaneously demonstrating a new direction.

Rather, the Cowboys have chosen to hold onto McCarthy and wait for him to enter free agency. And we’re probably in for a whole roster disaster if the 2024 season performs as poorly as the 2023 season did. Why not get started right away?

Can The Dallas Cowboys Realistically Keep Their Three Biggest Stars Beyond 2024?

The loss of five players and the lack of replacements that followed them have made the Cowboys offseason a huge letdown. The Cowboys’ recent string of postseason setbacks is one factor contributing to their lack of engagement. However, the other is more related to the future and concerns the upcoming contract extensions Dallas will have to provide to its three best players, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott.

It’s also still quite possible that the Dallas Cowboys decide they can’t keep all three after considering the future. Not only does each want to make a lot of money, but they also want to make the most money out of all NFL players in their position. For Prescott, Lamb, and Parsons, that translates to more than $50 million, $30 million, and $34 million annually, respectively.

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Parsons may be the player the Cowboys have to choose among the three if they have to.

Indeed, Machota says that he believes all three players will be signed by the Cowboys. If the goal of free agency is not to retain the stars in place, then why be so cautious? Things may only go out of control if Parsons wants to surpass fellow edge rusher Nick Bosa’s $34 million annual salary from the previous season.

According to Machota, Parsons is the team’s sole option if his asking price reaches a point where the Cowboys decide it would be better to go another way.

With $34 million a season, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa is currently the highest paid defender in the NFL. Parsons will undoubtedly aim to surpass that figure. But how much is that? If it is in that neighborhood, chances are good that things will sort themselves out. But what if the amount is far higher than that? Should contract negotiations turn sour, they can attempt to arrange a trade. Although I don’t see it reaching that point, it can’t be ruled out entirely.

Would the Dallas Cowboys actually trade Micah Parsons?

Although trading Parsons would come as a big surprise, it makes sense in the given situation—assuming Prescott and Lamb resign. Even if they were able to get a deal for Parsons, it is unclear that the Cowboys could really replace what he contributes to the defense, thus they would certainly demand a huge ransom in exchange.

Without a doubt, Micah Parsons deserves to be compensated. The key point is not whether it should be greater than Bosa, but rather how much. According to Spotrac, his market worth is projected to be far less than Bosa’s, at $25.4 million annually, or $102 million over the course of four years. That pales in comparison to Bosa’s projected five-year and $170 million award.

Despite only being 24 years old, Parsons has already made three Pro Bowl appearances and been selected to the All-Pro team twice. Throughout his three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Parsons has missed just one game and has averaged 13.0, 13.5, and 14.0 sacks per season.

The Cowboys brass must make important choices regarding the team’s future, but a trade shouldn’t be ruled out if Parsons’ asking price is too high.