Micah Parsons Cowboys salary: Full breakdown of LB's rookie contract
The Dallas Cowboys' 12th overall draft pick, Micah Parsons, has officially signed his first NFL contract. The rookie linebacker out of Penn State was one of the last 2021 draft picks to sign with the Cowboys.
How much is Micah Parsons' rookie contract worth?
Micah Parsons has signed a four-year deal worth $17,079,000, a fully-guaranteed contract. Parsons' contract also includes a $9,781,000 signing bonus. As a first-round draft selection, Micah Parsons' contract comes with a fifth-year option that the Cowboys can pick up. Dallas will have to decide if they are going to pick up Micah Parsons' fifth-year option in the offseason after his third professional season.
Micah Parsons' contract breakdown
In 2021, Micah Parsons will make a base salary of $660,000. In 2022, Parsons will make $1,436,000 and will get a bigger pay raise up to $2,212,000 in 2023. In the final season of his four-year deal, the Cowboys linebacker is due to make $2,989,000. The numbers in his fifth-year option will be based on his performance in the first four years of his deal.
The 22-year-old linebacker out of Penn State is poised for a standout rookie season. Although he didn't play in the 2020 season for the Nittany Lions due to Covid-19 concerns, his first two seasons were enough to impress scouts across the league.
In just 26 games with the Penn State Nittany Lions, Micah Parsons had 191 tackles, eighteen of them for loss. He had five passes defended, six forced fumbles and six-and-a-half sacks.
With linebacker Sean Lee retiring just days before the draft, Micah Parsons will fill the void left in the Cowboys' defense. The Cowboys seem to be impressed with what they have seen of the young linebacker so far through rookie camp and OTA's (Organized Team Activities).
Despite not playing last season, it seems that he has picked up right where he left off in 2019. Micah Parsons is expected to start at middle linebacker week 1 for the Dallas Cowboys. So far, based on what the team has seen, Parsons could be an option at outside linebacker as well as a pass rusher on the edge.
The Dallas Cowboys defense struggled last season to stop opposing offenses, especially those in the NFC East. By adding a versatile defensive player like Micah Parsons, the Cowboys may have found their missing piece.