It was the shot heard ’round the world. Okay, maybe it wasn’t as dramatic as that, but it was certainly interesting. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke with the media at OTAs and informed the media members in attendance.

He informed them that he had spoken to his best player on defense, and he believed that, despite Micah Parsons’ MIA status, he believed his best player in defense would report to mandatory minicamp.

Several hours later, Micah responded by way of his official X account and confirmed the story.

There’s no way to misconstrue that. Now, we’re having fun. Now, this feels like a party.

Micah Parsons enters his fifth NFL season seeking a new extension.

Most of this story is well-known now, but just in case you’ve been busy, here’s what you missed. After a successful career with the Penn State Nittany Lions, Micah Parsons was one of the most coveted defensive prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He had previously opted out of the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19 concerns.

The decision during the 2021 offseason was an easy one to make. He declined his remaining years of college eligibility in favor of making himself available to interested NFL teams. No one had forgotten about how good he was. After all, he had earned First-team All-Big Ten honors and the conference’s linebacker of the year award in 2019.

Parsons was also named a Consensus All-American that same season. The Cowboys made him the 12th-overall pick, and from Day 1, it was obvious to everyone watching that they had landed something special.

His first four seasons have ended in four trips to the Pro Bowl. He was a member of the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He took home the Butkus Award in 2021 and has since earned two First-team All-Pro nods (2021 and 2022). He earned Second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.

Dallas exercised his fifth-year option on April 24, 2024, but since then, there’s been no extension. Until it does, he’s eligible for free agency after the coming season. One can see why that might cause issues or concern. Parsons has been compared to one of the best defensive players of all time, Lawrence Taylor, and he wants to be paid as such.

We’ll see what happens when he comes to work. Knowing he plans to do so in and of itself is a good thing. When he skipped OTAs, there were whispers, some asking if he might make the decision to hold out.

Recently, Dallas has developed a reputation for paying their players later rather than sooner. Have they have learned their lesson? That’s the million-dollar question (pun intended). If this team wants to show its seriousness in competing for a title, Micah Parsons must be a part of this team’s future.