Is there a potential solution to the Terry McLaurin and Micah Parsons contract negotiations?
Micah Parsons has always been clear about his love for Dan Quinn.
He has made various comments over time that suggest he has always been open to a possible reunion. After Quinn left the Cowboys, Parsons said: “He might take me with him, you never know.”
In late June 2025, Micah Parsons said he “only rocked” with Dan Quinn.
Pay him? Or let him go?
Meanwhile, in Washington, contract negotiations with Terry McLaurin have been dragging on. While the fan base was initially almost totally in favour of keeping McLaurin, it is now split between the “pay him” and the “let him go” group.
For myself, I argued that while I would love to keep McLaurin, paying over the odds for a 30-year-old wide receiver does not make sense. My choice was for him to play out his already sizeable contract for the year, win the Super Bowl and then negotiate.
I argued he would have earned his ring by playing through the dark times. But sadly, the negotiations seem to be all about the money, not the glory.
While Terry finally showed up at training camp just two days ago, he requested a trade. The following day Micah Parsons requested a trade.
While in theory the two events are unrelated, it started me thinking. What if there is a potential trade between Washington and Dallas?
Could a trade be possible?
While trades to divisional rivals are not the done thing, it is quite possible both teams would see some spite value in the move. And if both players are keen to get out, perhaps the unthinkable is possible?
The potential trade poses some interesting questions.
Is Micah Parsons the trade all Washington fans would accept for Terry McLaurin?
Washington would be swapping a 30-year-old 3rd round pick for a 26-year-old 1st round pick. And whatever you think of McLaurin, Parsons has been a stand-out star at Dallas. As such, it is a no brainer for the Commanders.
Are there other clues beyond the comments Micah Parsons has been making over the last couple of years?
When you look at some of the moves made by General Manager Adam Peters, it almost looks like this trade was lined up months ago.
Washington drafted WR Jaylin Lane. They then traded to bring in Deebo Samuel from San Francisco. The team have also been signing other minor WR talent, including Michael Gallup, Braylon Sanders (UFL) and Tay Martin, and they re-signed KJ Osburn.
Is there a space on the roster?
And then there is the move they did not make.
Speculation was rife in the draft that Washington would draft or sign a pass rusher, and that move never happened.
While they did recently sign Von Miller, at 36, there is no comparison between him and Micah Parsons. If they signed Micah Parsons, this would follow the pattern for signing younger talent with older mentors, which I have commented on before.
No doubt Micah Parsons would get a kick from playing alongside Von Miller, and no doubt Miller would enjoy coming on at key moments to try to make a few game changing plays.
What would any possible deal look like?
Given the relative trade values, I would assume Washington would need to give up something else, like another pick or other players. I doubt Dallas would see McLaurin alone as a fair trade.
What are the other costs to Washington?
There are two other issues. Losing more draft picks would not be ideal, given trades made this offseason already saw Washington give up future draft capital.
And then there is the matter of salary. While negotiations with McLaurin have stalled, Parsons himself is also looking for a new contract, which could cost the team more. That would be another hit to the salary cap although arguably, given his age and potential game-changing play, it would be worth the money to go for Parsons.
So what do you think? Is it possible? Is it probable? What would the details look like and, most importantly, would you be happy to see that trade?
It is one of the few trades where I can see me being “happy” to lose McLaurin, something I never thought I would hear myself say till a few days ago…
