On Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons told fans exactly what they wanted to hear: he will be in attendance for mandatory minicamp.

Responding to head coach Brian Schottenheimer‘s comments saying he expects Parsons to be there, the veteran defender explained that he has never missed minicamp, and he doesn’t plan to now. While his contract situation is unresolved, Parsons made it clear that he has teammates and a playbook, so he’s doing everything he can to get prepared.

That all sounds great. While everyone wants the Pro Bowl defender to be extended as soon as possible, it’s also important for him to be in the building, leading the locker room in this new era. So that part of Parsons’ statement was absolutely comforting. Unfortunately, what he said next is a bit concerning.

Parsons ended his post by saying, “I’m preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it’s in the owner’s hands. I’m ready to win a Super Bowl!” We know contract negotiations are at a standstill, and it sounds like a training camp holdout is possible if things aren’t figured out before then.

It sounds like Micah Parsons holding out of Cowboys training camp is a real possibility

Whenever a star player is looking to get a new deal, fans and media members start to over-analyze every little detail to see if there are any signs of frustration. That’s absolutely what this is: over-analyzing Parsons’ statement.

Regardless, the 26-year-old’s decision to say he’s preparing “as if” he will be on the field the first week of camp makes it seem like it’s not a certainty he will be. Barring an injury, the only reason he won’t be on the field is because he doesn’t have an extension.

Parsons followed that up by saying, “But it’s in the owner’s hands,” as if Jerry and Stephen Jones’ decision on whether to give him the contract he’s looking for or not will determine if he’s on the field when training camp arrives.

Additionally, the two sides have certainly been talking about an extension, so the fact that it’s not done yet, and that Parsons made the decision to explicitly say things are in the owner’s hands is a clear message that he wants the Joneses to ramp up the intensity.

If that is the case, it is utterly ridiculous, because extending Parsons shouldn’t be a difficult conversation. The market for top edge defenders in the league is clear, and Parsons has proven his value to the Cowboys time and time again.

The franchise needs to get the deal done and avoid a dramatic situation that extends into training camp. But that hasn’t stopped them before.