Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis criticized Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for directly negotiating with Micah Parsons.
Revis called on the NFLPA to take action against Jones, who should instead be speaking with Parsons’ representatives.
Revis, a candidate for the NFLPA’s executive director job, believes the union’s inaction could embolden owners in future CBA negotiations.
The contract standoff between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys has now pitted a Hall of Fame player against a Hall of Fame owner.
Former NFL cornerback Darrelle Revis, considered a potential candidate to become the executive director of the NFL Players’ Association, called for the union to take action against Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
‘Doing nothing is not an option,’ Revis wrote in a statement he posted on social media. ‘At the very least, the NFLPA should be saying it does not condone what Jerry is doing.’
Jones has revealed that he negotiated directly with Parsons, who is currently seeking a lucrative contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Parsons, however, requested to be traded and said that the Cowboys have neglected to engage with his representation. That could be viewed as a violation of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and the union, although nothing explicitly states an owner cannot talk to a player about compensation.
‘The bigger issue is respect,’ Revis wrote. ‘Jerry’s actions show that owners have no problem taking advantage of us, and when our union fails to respond, it sends the message that they’ll be able to do the same in the next CBA negotiations if the current leadership remains in place.’
A five-time first-team All-Pro corner, Revis has been vocal about union matters recently. After ESPN reported the union placed an in-house lawyer on administrative leave, he wrote on social media ‘What’s going on here?’ and tagged the official NFLPA account.
Former NFL quarterback Matt Schaub is another former player candidate for the union’s executive director role. Previous NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned last month amid controversy regarding several issues, from a collusion acknowledgement that was buried to his spending union money at strip clubs.
David White, the former executive director of SAG-AFTRA who finished second to Howell in the 2023 election, is the interim executive director.