Cowboys’ Jerry Jones is Right Not to Give Micah Parsons a Tribute

Dallas, TX – September 27, 2025

Jerry Jones, the owner of what many consider the NFL’s most prominent franchise and arguably the biggest name in professional sports, continues to draw criticism for all the wrong reasons, according to a majority of league fans. With the Dallas Cowboys under his stewardship, Jones shoulders immense responsibility, yet his recent decisions suggest a troubling trend of missteps that shows no sign of slowing down. Despite sitting atop a lucrative empire in Dallas, his leadership choices have left much to be desired in recent years.

The latest controversy to put Jones in the hot seat came earlier this week when he announced he has no intention of honoring Micah Parsons with a tribute video. The Cowboys parted ways with Parsons just weeks ago, trading him to the Green Bay Packers right before Week 1. While the decision to skip a video tribute has sparked debate, it stands out as one of the few moves Jones has gotten right lately.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate this way,” Jones explained, as reported by the Dallas Morning News. “Emmitt (Smith) was a different story. That’s not to diminish Micah. I think Micah has enough welcome out there, and we just need to show that we’ve got antidotes for that.”

Should the Cowboys Honor Micah Parsons?

Parsons is entitled to feel however he chooses about the snub, but it doesn’t detract from his undeniable talent. If he maintains his current trajectory, a Hall of Fame induction seems inevitable. His exceptional play during his tenure with the Cowboys solidified his status as one of the league’s elite edge rushers.

Yet, for a franchise as iconic as the Cowboys, there’s little justification for rolling out a tribute video for a player who spent only four seasons with the team. This stance holds even more weight when considering the contract disputes that marred his time in Dallas—issues not entirely his fault but still relevant to the narrative.

“No, there’s a lot of things I can consider disrespectful throughout this process, but I wouldn’t say the tribute is one of them,” Parsons commented on Wednesday. “I would say, I just think there’s hard feelings maybe there for them. But for me, I’m happy where I’m at, and we got a really good football team, so I guess I can [receive] my tribute in a win, I hope.”

“You know, I think Dallas loves me,” Parsons added. “I think they’re going to give me a good round of applause. There’s no hard feelings there, at least from me, and I think it’s going to be, like I said, it’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

Cowboys Shouldn’t Look to Honor Micah Parsons

The situation would be entirely different had Parsons played over a decade with the Cowboys and either left in free agency or been moved on from as part of a strategic shift—regardless of who owned the team. Even then, there’d be little reason to offer him the kind of tribute some might argue he deserves.

If Parsons had delivered a Super Bowl victory for Dallas—though the team’s failure to do so wasn’t solely his burden—there might be a case for recognition. Absent those achievements, there’s no basis to fault Jones for this call.

Rather, the criticism should target Jones for not meeting Parsons’ financial demands, a decision that could have kept him in Dallas long enough to earn that tribute video as a retired Cowboy.