By Adeniyi Precious 
Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $24 million for the season. But given his status as one of the league’s top defenders, he’s eyeing a massive long-term extension—possibly in the $40 million per year range.
On Tuesday, rumors started swirling that Parsons and the Cowboys were close to finalizing a new deal. But NFL insider Jane Slater quickly shut those down, reporting that no “meaningful talks” have even happened yet.
“Despite the buzz on Twitter about a Parsons extension being done, I checked—it’s not. In fact, the two sides haven’t even started serious discussions yet, according to two sources,” Slater reported.
Cowboys fans didn’t take the news well.
“Jerry likes to wait until July when nothing’s happening in sports so he can be the main topic on First Take,” one fan joked.
“If Micah walks, I walk too. I can only take so much of this,” another fan vented.
“What are they waiting for, bro?” someone else asked.
Parsons, 25, has already put together an elite résumé in his first four seasons: 52.5 sacks, 256 tackles, 63 tackles for loss, and 112 quarterback hits. He’s also a Defensive Rookie of the Year winner, a two-time First-Team All-Pro, and a four-time Pro Bowler. Last season, he played 13 games and racked up 12 sacks, 43 tackles, and 23 QB hits.
Despite the lack of movement on his contract, Parsons remains optimistic.
“I really respect Jerry [Jones], and we have great conversations all the time. There’s definitely a plan in place, but we’ll just have to see how things play out. Nothing’s happened yet, but I’m confident something will get done,” Parsons said last month.
For now, Cowboys fans will have to wait—and hope their defensive superstar sticks around for the long haul.