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The Dallas Cowboys are in pursuit of their first Super Bowl title since 1995 -- and like any team that fancies itself a championship contender, Dallas has to make some hard decisions about what to do as some of its key players near the end of their contracts.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is perhaps the most pressing case, as the NFL's leader in touchdown passes in 2023 is entering the final year of his deal in 2024. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is hoping to reset the market for his position, but the Cowboys haven't clarified his future either with free agency looming. Micah Parsons is another important player who will sign need a new contract with Dallas -- but he might be disappointed to learn that he will need to exercise a touch more patience.
"Micah got to wait," teammate says
Cowboys safety Malik Hooker recently spoke with former Dallas receiver Keyshawn Johnson on FOX Sports' "All Facts No Breaks." Hooker told Johnson that if he were owner Jerry Jones, he would much rather extend Lamb and Prescott before coming around to two-time All-Pro Parsons' deal.
"I feel like CeeDee should be paid first for the simple fact of what he does for us, how valuable he is for us, the leader he is for us as a team," Hooker said in comments that could upset Prescott as well as Parsons.
Lamb, who hauled in 12 touchdowns last year, could be a free agent after the 2024 season if the Cowboys do not give him a contract that rivals the record-setting deal Justin Jefferson recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Parsons has a little longer to wait after Dallas (smartly) picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract -- his deal expires after 2025, and Hooker's comments could simply be a reflection of that reality.
However, the star edge rusher could use his teammate's remarks as fuel for his fire in 2024. Parsons has finished second or third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his three NFL seasons, and if he wins the award in year four, his contractual status will become impossible to ignore.