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When the Dallas Cowboys took the field for their first practice of training camp Tuesday in Oxnard, California, All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons was with his teammates. That’s notable because the 26-year-old still doesn’t have a contract extension ahead of the final year of his rookie deal in 2025.

Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones questioned Parsons’ durability on Monday after the 26-year-old missed four games in 2024 with an ankle sprain. On the heels of those comments, Parsons himself confirmed Tuesday that there hasn’t been much movement in the negotiations and said he has no idea when he could get re-signed by Dallas.

“I don’t know. We’ll see, we’ll see how long things take,” Parsons said via The Athletic. “There’s not really much movement, man. I want to be here. I’ve always stated I want to be here, but you know, at the end of the day, they sign the checks like always. Let’s see if they want me to be here at the end of the day.”

In April at the NFL’s annual league meeting, Jones quipped that he didn’t know the name of Parsons’ agent, but Parsons made it clear David Mulugheta has been reaching out to the Cowboys front office to get down to business.

“My agent has been reaching out. At one point, one grown man has to be reaching out himself,” Parsons said via The Athletic. “Communication works both ways. They reached out, so that needs to happen too. They got to want to do it on their part.”

Parsons clarified Mulugheta hasn’t just reached out to the Jones family but to Adam Prasifka, the Cowboys’ senior director of salary cap and player contracts, as well. Ultimately, Parsons doesn’t mind if the Cowboys don’t want to pay up to keep him around long-term. He understands everyone needs to look out for themselves.

“Honestly for me, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been pretty consistent. If they don’t want me here, they don’t want me here. I’ll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business,” Parsons said via The Athletic. “As far as I’m here and under contract, I’m going to do what I have to do to perform at the highest level, but if this is the end, this is the end. Same with the Joneses. Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and the other Jerry Jones [Jerry Jr.] take care of their family, the same way I need to take care of my family. I got three kids of my own, so we all need to take care of our own family at the end of the day.”

He did kick off contract talks with Jones back on Jan. 10 but he still doesn’t have a deal after the first practice of training camp. When asked point blank if he was discouraged about how long contract talks have dragged on, Parsons said it stings.

“Honestly, yeah,” Parsons said. “When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys, I see T.J. [Watt] got taken care of. Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of. Myles [Garrett] got taken care of. He [Garrett] had two years left on his deal. You see a lot of people around the league getting taken care of, and you wish you had something like, you know, that same type of energy.”

Highest paid edge rushers in NFL Average Per Salary (APY) Total contract value Years T.J. Watt (PIT)* $41 million $123 million 3 Myles Garrett (CLE)* $40 million $160 million 4 Danielle Hunter (HOU)* $35.6 million $35.6 million 1 Maxx Crosby (LV)* $35.5 million $106.5 million 3 Nick Bosa (SF) $34 million $170 million 5

* Contract signed this offseason

Parsons has also watched extension negotiations with his teammates Dak Prescott (eventually re-signed on a four-year, $240 million deal) and CeeDee Lamb (eventually re-signed on a four-year, $136 million extension) drag on and take on a life of their own after Jones made public comments across the course of the offseason. That’s why he believes it’s nothing personal as prolonging and delaying in contract negotiations with star players is how Jones has chosen to operate.

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard to not take it personally when there’s a chain of events of something consistent happening over the course of years where you kind of see it before through other players and things, you don’t take that personal,” Parsons said. “It’s not like I’m getting treated differently than anyone else. I don’t take it personally. I just don’t understand it.”

Parsons has made it clear he would prefer to remain with the Cowboys. Many star players around the NFL wouldn’t report or participate in their team’s training camp if in the kind of contract dispute Parsons finds himself in. Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurindidn’t report to training camp on Tuesday. Neither did Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.

“I want to be here. I’ve always stated I want to be here, but at the end of the day, they sign the checks like always,” Parsons said via All City DLLS. “I think they got their own timeline on when they want to get things done. At any given time, they could get things done. I don’t think that [being at training camp] helps. I’m doing this for myself and my teammates.”

Parsons wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Watt currently holds that crown with a $41 million average per year salary on his new, three-year contract. The numbers back Parsons’ quest to top Watt financially. Parsons’ 330 quarterback pressures are tied for the most in the NFL with Crosby since he entered the league in 2021 (per TruMedia). He’s also the only player since sacks began being tracked as an individual statistic in 1982 to have 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons in the NFL.

“I feel like I’m the best at what I do,” Parsons said via All City DLLS. “You can argue whoever, but stats, numbers don’t lie. The consistency is there. And availability is there.”

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive back Kelvin Joseph has been arrested in connection to a fatal crash that left one person dead, according to Richardson (Texas) Police. Joseph faces charges of Driving While Intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death, a second-degree felony.

Plano Police say they received a call from Joseph at 5:39 a.m. local time Saturday morning admitting he was involved in the accident. Richardson Police then contacted Joseph and determined his BMW struck a motorcycle, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old woman. Police also said they “observed signs of intoxication” from Joseph. An investigation is underway.

In 2022, Joseph was cleared of any wrongdoing after being in the car with a suspected gunman in Dallas prior to a deadly shooting.

“We obviously don’t need our players to be involved in situations that make this come up about your character,” Dallas owner Jerry Jones said at the time. “He needs to be a good player on and off the field and we’re going to give him a chance to do that. [Our message to him is] Now get in here and be a good player, be a guy everybody depends on, and make your name in a positive way and clean it up.”

A former second-round pick of the Cowboys in 2021, Joseph spent two seasons in Dallas before he was traded to the Miami Dolphins. He later played for the Kansas City Chiefs, among other teams.

The No. 44 overall pick, Joseph played in 10 games as a rookie with 16 tackles and one fumble recovery. His numbers were similar as a second-year pro for the NFC East franchise and he played in all 16 games before Dallas moved on.

Earlier this year, Joseph attempted a career reboot of sorts after signing with the DC Defenders of the UFL.

The Dallas Cowboys officially held their first 2025 training camp practice in Oxnard, California, on Tuesday.

Much like the first day of school, ample amounts of energy and passion were seen on and off the field.

After practice, star defensive end Micah Parsons shared his side of the ongoing contract extension dispute with the Cowboys.

CBS Sports Texas’ Bill Jones asked Parsons whether he believed the organization wants to get a deal done, and his response might not be the most encouraging sign.

“Honestly, it really don’t matter,” Parsons said. “I have been pretty consistent. If they don’t want me here, they don’t want me here. I’ll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business. Like I said, as long as I’m here under contract, I’m going to do what I have to do to perform at the highest level. If this is the end, this is the end.”

Statements like that are normally uttered by a player in the middle of a holdout, away from the team’s training camp site.

Parsons, though, was front and center in Oxnard with Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs at his side.

Since OTAs, Parsons has made it clear he will be with the team in Oxnard regardless of whether he is extended or not.

A large reason for that is Parsons wants to be present in camp and around his teammates in preparation for the season.

“I just think I’m doing this for myself and my teammates,” Parsons said. “This isn’t for Jerry [Jones.] This isn’t for Stephen [Jones.] I want to be here battling with Terrance Steele. I’m here for these guys; I’m not here for him. We’re all on the field playing the game. I’m going to just control my teammates, keep boosting it, and we’re just going to keep playing together.”

Diggs, who is still rehabbing a knee injury, said now is the time for patience.

“It’s time to stay patient,” Diggs said. “It’s coming… he’s the best player in the NFL. Why wouldn’t you pay him? He clearly wants to be here. I’ve known him ever since he came in. He’s worked hard, he’s earned everything, he’s earned every dollar. He’s performed on the field. It’s time to get him done and make sure we can keep this thing together. It’s the nature of the business. Hopefully, we keep everything together and continue to help this team win a Super Bowl.”

The two-time All-Pro’s discouragement comes after Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones made comments about Parsons’ injury history as a reason to stall an extension.

Parsons said he did not take Jones’ words personally, mostly because he saw Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s contract disputes similarly drag on.

He did, however, point to other examples of teams paying their star pass rushers.

“When you get around the league and see these other teams taking care of their best guy,” Parsons said. “I see T.J. [Watt] got taken care of, Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of, Miles [Garrett] got taken care of, and he got two years left on his deal. You see a lot of people in this league get taken care of. You just wish you had that same type of energy.”

Steelers star player and fellow defensive end T.J. Watt signed the most recent, and certainly most lucrative contract of any non-quarterback in NFL history: a 3-year, $123 million contract.

Since entering the league in 2021, Parsons has recorded 256 tackles in 63 games played. He has also netted 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons, a feat only Reggie White has accomplished before.

He was on the field for practice, but was mostly inactive in drills, due to back tightness. Once cleared, Parsons expects himself to be a full participant.

“At the end of the day, I’m just staying in the moment,” Parsons said. “Life is so short. I don’t want to give up this time, this place off the account of someone else. God blessed me to be here. I love representing the Star. Nothing can hold me back from football. This is genuinely what I love to do. If anyone questions that, they probably have never been around me. I take everything I do very seriously. Holding out completely, I don’t think so. I love this game. There’s nothing that’s going to keep me from this game, and it is what it is if it gets to that point.”

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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

😄 Good morning to all but especially to …

THE RED-HOT MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The Brew Crew moved up three spots and into No. 1 in Matt Snyder’s newest MLB Power Rankings. An 11-game winning streak has slingshot the Brewers into the NL Central lead, one game ahead of the Cubs. While it’s been a team effort, Milwaukee continues to receive stellar play from Christian Yelich, who leads the team in home runs and RBI.

Milwaukee’s winning streak has been much-needed as the NL Central — sans the cellar dwelling Pirates … more on them a little bit later — has become one of MLB’s better divisions. Four of those five teams currently boast winning records. One of those teams, the Reds, have clearly responded to future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona, who recently became the 13th skipper in history to reach 2,000 career wins.

Here are Matt’s top five teams this week:

Brewers (previous: 4) Cubs (3) Tigers (1) Blue Jays (7) Dodgers (2)

👍 Honorable mentions

😟 And not such a good morning for …

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JERRY JONES AND MICAH PARSONS

As has become his wont, the Cowboys longtime owner/CEO/president/GM once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. While Jerry Jones said that he is “not the least concerned” about Micah Parsons’ contract situation, he appeared to throw a subtle jab at the star linebacker, and it’s one that he did not appreciate.

“Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re gonna have him. He was hurt six games last year. Seriously,” Jones said while discussing Parsons’ contract.

As you can imagine, Jones’ comments went viral faster than a scoop of ice cream melting on a Texas football field in July. Future Hall of Fame pass rusher J.J. Watt was the first to take Jones to task for his comments with a critical social media post that Parsons actually reposted!

While none of this looks good, there was some positive news out of Dallas regarding Parsons, which is the fact that he was present for the first day of training camp. But, based on Jones’ comments and Parsons’ reaction to them, things are certainly not great between the Cowboys and arguably their best player.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Worst moves of the NBA offseason

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By all accounts, the NBA offseason has been quiet. Outside of the Bucks’ stunningly dismissal of star guard Damian Lillard, who went on to sign a deal with the Trail Blazers, it has lacked the drama NBA fans have seen is past years. CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin ranked the worst moves of the offseason, with the Bucks ditching “Dame Time” for Myles Turner at the top of the list.

Botkin: “Give Jon Horst this much: He’s gonna go down swinging. Every time even a tiny whiff of Giannis Antetokounmpo possibly starting to consider a Milwaukee exit — whether or not there’s been any merit to the speculation is another matter — has hit the air, Horst has snapped into action with a blockbuster move aimed at re-stoking the loyalty of the best player to wear a Bucks uniform since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”

Other lowlights included: The Suns waiving Bradley Beal, the Pelicans taking a bold swing on Maryland forward Derik Queen in the draft and Portland adding veteran Jrue Holiday via trade in one of the first trades of the offseason.

Plus, Cameron Salerno has your Las Vegas Summer Leaguewinners and losers.

🏈 Sanders provides update on his health

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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders provided a vague update on his health. Sanders has largely been quiet this offseason as he continues to deal with unspecified health issues. Sanders provided the update via a video. Sanders was physically active in the video, shooting a basketball, playing tennis and going on a 1.3-mile “run-walk” with his daughter.

“You know I’m still going through something,” Sanders said before he stepped into the ice bath. “I ain’t all the way recovered.”

Despite questions regarding his health, there have been no reports regarding Sanders possibly missing time when the Buffaloes’ season begins. Sanders shot down questions pertaining to his health during Big 12 Media Days.

🎾 Could Serena Williams be planning a comeback?

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While Venus Williams is playing in her first event in over a year, her younger sister, 23-time singles Grand Slam winning Serena Williams, has also been in the headlines after she recently posted a video of herself hitting tennis balls. Serena, 43, hasn’t played professional tennis since 2022, but that didn’t stop Venus from being asked this week about his sister possibly coming out of retirement.

“I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,” Venus said. “Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her. But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”

As someone who watched their entire careers, I for one am hoping to see the Williams sisters join forces on the court once again.

🏈 Ranking the NFL’s best teams since 2000

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With NFL training camps opening up, we’ve reached the end of “list season,” the month between minicamp and training camp. But before camps start to ramp up, we’ve got one last NFL historical rankings piece for your reading enjoyment as we recently ranked the league’s 25 best teams since 2000.

The list includes several teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl, most notably the 2007 Patriots, who were 18-0 before they were taken down by Eli Manning, David Tyree and the Giants in the Super Bowl. Another notable non-champion were the 2009 Vikings which were headlined by Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen.

And on the subject of older stars, we’ve also got the NFL’s best 30 players 30 and over.

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

🚴 The Tour de France, Stage 16, 6 a.m. on Peacock

⚽ UEFA Women’s European Championship: Semifinal — England vs. Italy, 3 p.m. on FOX

⚾ Phillies at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. on TBS

🏀 Fever at Liberty, 8 p.m. on ESPN

🏀 Dream at Aces, 10 p.m. on ESPN

⚾ Twins at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLBN

Although the beginning of the 2025 college football season is still more than three months away, analysts, writers and fans alike are trying to get a grip on how they think this year will shake out.

That includes slotting the 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference to figure out the hierarchy in the sport’s toughest conference as we head into the summer. CBS Sports’ Will Backus took on that challenge this week, attempting to power rank the SEC post-spring.

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After a 6-7 season in 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners and coach Brent Venables don’t have the highest of expectations in the conference or nationally. Backus has them in the bottom half of the league, ranked ninth, and sandwiched between Texas A&M and Auburn.

Pressure is mounting on Brent Venables to deliver, so he made wholesale changes in the offseason. He took over defensive play-calling responsibilities while handing the offensive keys to new coordinator Ben Arbuckle, a quarterback whisperer who consistently produced some of the nation’s top passing attacks at Western Kentucky and Washington State. Arbuckle’s most recent Wazzu quarterback, John Mateer, followed him to Norman as the Sooners look to revamp a stagnant offense. – Backus, CBS Sports

Venables decision to call the defense in 2025 will be watched closely as the season progresses. On the one hand he’s one of the best in the business at defensive play-calling. On the other, he’s not just a defensive coordinator. He’s the coach. Venables is responsible for everything that happens on game day, and he has to manage the entire game not just part.

Fortunately, he has former coaches Nate Dreiling (Utah State; interim), Kevin Wilson (Indiana and Tulsa) and Brandon Hall (Troy; interim) on his staff this season. He also has a former defensive coordinator, Wes Goodwin (Clemson). Those experienced assistants could help take some of the load off the head man’s shoulders.

The duo of Arbuckle and Mateer is easily the thing that has Sooner Nation the most excited about the 2025 season. Their success last year in Pullman, Washington, is something they hope to replicate in the SEC. Arbuckle’s air raid system has been good to quarterbacks at both Western Kentucky and Washington State. He has worked with Bailey Zappe, Austin Reed and Cam Ward. All of the quarterbacks excelled under his tutelage. His latest protege, Mateer, led the Football Bowl Subdivision in total touchdowns a season ago.

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But Arbuckle and Mateer are far from the only intriguing new faces. Jaydn Ott comes over from Cal and has a chance to be one of the best running backs in the country if he’s healthy. New general manager Jim Nagy promises a more aggressive approach to NIL and the transfer portal. He has already backed up that philosophy in the spring portal, mainly by landing Ott and keeping former five-star defensive tackle David Stone in Norman after a brief stay in the portal.

The SEC will be brutal in 2025; there’s no doubt about that. But Venables checked a lot of boxes this offseason that had to be checked. He knows he has to finish better in the standings than he did a year ago and better than he’s predicted to this season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where Oklahoma ranks in CBS Sports latest SEC Power Rankings