As the NFL raises its salary cap every year, the demands of the league’s premier stars rise along with it. Several quarterbacks have already cashed in, nearly breaking the bank, and now players at other positions are beginning to do the same.
Earlier this offseason, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and pass-rushers Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt became the first two non-quarterbacks in NFL history to eclipse an average annual salary of $40 million per year, and there are plenty more coming. The 30-year-old Watt is making $41 per season for the next three seasons, and now more EDGE rushers are clamoring for similar contracts.
Amid a contract standoff with the Bengals, Trey Hendrickson has held in during training camp, and now Cowboys star pass-rusher Micah Parsons is doing the same. The four-time Pro Bowler is clamoring for a new deal with Dallas, and has even publicly requested a trade... with the support of Giants rookie Abdul Carter.
Abdul Carter supports Micah Parson’s quest for lucrative extension
It’s no surprise to see Carter, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, support his fellow Nittany Lion. Their time in Happy Valley never overlapped, with Carter arriving the season after the 26-year-old departed for the NFL. But the two still possess a strong bond, even despite the fierce rivalry between the Giants and Cowboys.
Just like Jermaine Eluemunor jokingly did a few weeks back, the 21-year-old has encouraged the superstar pass rusher to “get paid what he’s earned”. And this all came after Pa.rsons said Carter could be "the best one" amid comparisons between the pair.
Parsons, a two-time First-Team All-Pro and the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year, amassed a career-low 12.0 sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season, but those numbers were accomplished in just 13 games in 2024. A “down year” by his standards, but elite for anyone else.
Since being drafted in 2021, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Harrisburg native has been one of the best pass-rushers in the sport. But in typical Jerry Jones fashion, he’s getting frugal when it comes to paying his high-level talent.
If you’ve got the best defensive player in the game, you pay him. Parsons has yet to enter his prime and is worth every penny if you can keep him in blue and white for his entire career. Carter’s also going to bat for him because there’s a chance he finds himself in a similar predicament at the end of his rookie contract.
Players will always support other players paving the way, especially when they’re game wreckers like these former Penn State standouts. And if Carter's dominant summer has been any indication, he'll be in for a payday of his own in due time.