Cowboys’ Dak Prescott ‘hoping’ that Micah Parsons is ready to play

FRISCO, Texas — Having gone through it himself and having seen prolonged contract negotiations with other players, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is not losing sleep over whether Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons will play in the Sept. 4 opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I’ve got confidence,” Prescott said. “I told y’all that way back when. And I’m just going off of experience honestly. No different than mine. I’ve got confidence in that. Just hoping, which I know he is, that he’s ready to play.”

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Parsons has yet to practice this summer as he goes through a hold-in while awaiting a contract extension from the Cowboys. There have been no talks, and the Cowboys appear content to have Parsons play on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has also dismissed Parsons’ trade request.

Prescott does not believe the Parsons saga has been a distraction.

“There’s been a case of something similar to this the last three years, I believe, if not before,” Prescott said. “Not necessarily. I think that people can take it however they want. I think it’s kind of part of the way guys think and see things around here.”

Trevon Diggs, one of Parsons’ closest friends on the team, is not sure Parsons will play the opener.

“I just hope we get everything worked out, we get everything situated. All the guys miss him,” Diggs said. “Everybody wants him out there. I just hope that everything gets handled so we can just go out there and win.”

Diggs said Parsons has been working out on his own throughout training camp. He was not at the portion of practice open to the media on Monday, but he was spotted out there by the time the session was over.

“I know he’s working,” Diggs said. “He wants to get out there bad. I know what type of person he is, know what type of hard worker he is. I just know he wants to be out there.”

But what about the Aug. 1 trade demand?

“I’ve heard him say before, he plays the game for us,” Diggs said. “We go out there sweating, blood, sweat and tears. We work out together, training together. So it’s really him being with us at the end of the day. I know for sure he wants to be out there with us.

“This is home. This is family. So why wouldn’t he want to be here?”