FRISCO – The 2025 offseason has set the table for Micah Parsons to take a major step in his career trajectory next season. No, Parsons has not come to terms with the Dallas Cowboys on what should be a massive contract extension.

But the All-Pro linebacker/edge hybrid has more on the line than just money. The Cowboys are counting on Parsons to really emerge as a leader on this team.

Parsons will be entering his fifth season come training camp. Suddenly, he is not the young budding prospect on the rise. In a sense, Parsons has already arrived and his value will be judged on more than just his production on the field.

Key departures that included DeMarcus Lawrence and Zack Martin have also created a vacancy for a leadership figure in the locker room. All signs point to Parsons being that guy.

Monday was the first phase of this true transition as Parsons showed up to the team’s voluntary workouts. Parsons has not usually made himself present for these, so perhaps his presence gives a hint to his mindset at this time.

Regardless, one Cowboys insider believes this move should be the final straw in Jerry Jones getting his star paid. Following the reveal that Parsons made it to voluntary workouts, DLLS Sports’ Clarence Hill called for the Cowboys to pay up with a post on X.

He started by quoting Jones, “For us to justify the kinds of dollars we’re talking about with any basis, he has to literally lead the way…

“Now pay the man,” he finished.

That impassioned response certainly has some merit. Parsons deserves his due and the Cowboys cannot continue to play the waiting game. They have already lost twice in the last month, watching Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett reset the market with their own extensions.

However, “leading the way” is not simply showing up once or with convenience. It is a continued process that manifests a presence in the locker room. Parsons, a staunch ambassador of The Star, is already well on his way to that point.

But again, one day does not define his worth for this contract extension. One way or another, it will happen.

When that day arrives though, it comes with the understanding that the Cowboys are not signing on for five more years of the same stat-sheet-stuffing star. Rather, they are committing to a franchise centerpiece and irrefutable leader.