Parsons pointed to other contracts as the basis for what he expects from the Cowboys. Myles Garrett agreed to a four-year extension averaging $40 million annually from the Cleveland Browns in March, while the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed this week to make edge rusher T.J. Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Micah Parsons knows how it all ends, this contract negotiation with the Dallas Cowboys stretching into a second year. He still wondered aloud why ownership is taking its time as the market jumps to new heights.