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Cowboys Rocked Before Week 1 – New Coach Schottenheimer Frustrated Over Parsons’ Uncertain Return

Cowboys Power Struggle: Schottenheimer vs. Jerry Jones Over Micah Parsons’ Future

The Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2025 NFL season not with momentum — but with a storm brewing between new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and team president/owner Jerry Jones. At the heart of the conflict: whether superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons (52.5 sacks in four seasons) will suit up for the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 4.

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For Schottenheimer, the answer is clear — Parsons is irreplaceable.
For Jones, contract leverage is the game.

Currently locked into his fifth-year option at $21.324 million, Parsons has grown frustrated over stalled extension talks. Jones insists there was a handshake agreement back in March, but Parsons flatly denies it, demanding negotiations go strictly through his agent, David Mulugheta. With no contact since February, tensions hit a breaking point when Jones made a tone-deaf remark that Parsons could miss games due to something as random as “getting hit by a car.” The star linebacker snapped — and officially requested a trade on August 1, 2025.

Schottenheimer isn’t hiding his frustration.

“I’m really upset Mr. Jones isn’t moving faster on this. Micah is the heart of our defense, and we can’t afford to miss him against the Eagles,” the coach told reporters.

He went further, blasting Jones’ negotiation style:

“He needs to work with Micah’s agent immediately. This delay is hurting team morale.”

Meanwhile, Parsons’ “hold-in” strategy — showing up to camp but refusing full participation — has slowed defensive preparations. Schottenheimer warned the Cowboys are underestimating the fallout:

“Without him, our defense will falter.”

Jones, however, isn’t budging. With the franchise tag option in his back pocket through 2028, he believes time is on the team’s side. But the opener against the Eagles’ high-powered offense looms large, and the Parsons standoff threatens to cast a shadow over the entire season.

The bigger question now: is this just a rocky negotiation… or the beginning of Micah Parsons’ exit from Dallas?

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Raiders Reunite with a Former Starter to Fortify the Offensive Line
Las Vegas, NV   The Las Vegas Raiders have brought back a familiar face in a move that screams both urgency and savvy: versatile offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor is returning to the Silver & Black on a one-year deal (terms not disclosed), reuniting with the franchise where he logged some of the best football of his career and immediately fortifying a position group that has been stretched thin. Eluemunor, 31, started for the Raiders from 2021–2023, showing rare position flexibility across right tackle and guard while anchoring pass protection against premier edge rushers. His technique, anchor, and ability to handle long-arm power made him a steadying force during multiple playoff pushes. After departing Vegas, Eluemunor spent time elsewhere refining his craft, but a confluence of roster needs and scheme familiarity has set the stage for a timely homecoming. For the Raiders—fighting to keep pace in a rugged AFC—this is about stability and fit. Injuries and week-to-week availability on the right side of the line have forced constant shuffling; protection packages have leaned heavily on chips and condensed splits to survive obvious passing downs. Eluemunor’s return allows the staff to plug him at RT or slide him inside at RG, restoring balance to protections and widening the run-game menu (duo, inside zone, and the toss/ pin-pull that Vegas fans love when the edge is sealed). “Jermaine knows who we are and how we want to play,” a team source said. “He brings ballast. Assignment sound, physical, and smart—he raises the floor for the entire unit.” Beyond the X’s and O’s, there’s an unmistakable emotional charge to this reunion. Eluemunor was a locker-room favorite in his previous stint—professional, detail-driven, and accountable. The belief internally is that his presence stabilizes communication on the right side (IDs, slides, and pass-off rules vs. games and simulated pressures), which in turn unlocks more vertical concepts and keeps the quarterback cleaner late in games. On social media, Raider Nation lit up the timeline with a simple refrain: “Welcome back, Jem.” Many fans called the deal the exact kind of “rival-poach, ready-to-play” move a contender makes in October: low friction, high impact, zero learning curve. What it means on the field (immediately): Pass pro: Fewer emergency chips, more five-out releases—OC can re-open deeper intermediate shots without living in max-protect. Run game: Better edge control on toss/duo; more confidence running to the right on money downs. Depth & versatility: One injury doesn’t force a cascade of position changes; Eluemunor can cover two spots with starting-level competency. The timetable? Swift. Because Eluemunor already speaks the language—terminology, splits, cadence rules—he could suit up as early as this weekend if the medicals/check-ins continue to trend positive. The message is clear: the Raiders aren’t waiting around for the line to gel—they’re engineering it. If Jermaine Eluemunor plays to his Raider résumé, this reunion could be the precise mid-season jolt that steadies the offense and keeps the Silver & Black firmly in the postseason race. Raider Nation, the question writes itself: Plug-and-play stopgap—or the catalyst that reclaims the right side