Jerry Jones responds to criticism of Micah Parsons after Cowboys split

The Dallas Cowboys did not make the NFL playoffs this season. Although Dak Prescott has powered a potent offense and enters Week 18 as the league’s leading rusher, the Cowboys’ defense has faltered at times this year.

The Dallas defense took a major hit when star running back Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers in August. Parsons, who will miss the entire regular season and the entire postseason with an ACL injury, recently evaluated the Cowboys’ defense.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus admitted there was a big void after Parsons’ departure, to which Parsons responded with a few laughing emojis.

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Parsons defended his response by pointing to longtime team owner Jerry Jones’ handling of Parsons’ reputation.

“Do you want me to feel bad?” Parsons wrote on Thursday at X. “Jerry Jones has slandered my name in the Cowboys and national media for months. So I guess I can comment if I want to!”

Jones addressed those comments from the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year during a regular appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

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“I wish Micah the best,” Jones said. “I would like to have Micah in the team. But we couldn’t afford him. We wanted four or five players more than him. But he is outstanding. I understand his feelings and I understand even these words.”

Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones, left, and Micah Parsons during the second quarter of the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Parsons missed four games in 2024 but still finished the season with 12 sacks. He recorded double-digit sacks in each of his five NFL seasons.

Parsons totaled 12½ sacks in his first 14 games with the Packers.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium Sept. 28, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

Green Bay sent defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks to the Cowboys in late August in exchange for Parsons.

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Shortly after the two teams agreed to a deal, Parsons became the fourth-highest paid non-linebacker in NFL history. He signed a four-year, $188 million contract, ESPN reported at the time. The contract reportedly includes up to $136 million in guarantees.

In a statement, Parsons thanked the Cowboys and expressed excitement about his next chapter, writing in part, “I didn’t want this chapter to end, but it wasn’t all in my power. My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything but justice. I only asked that someone I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.”

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