The Dallas Cowboys were playing the Atlanta Falcons in the last few games of the preseason when Micah Parsons was spotted without a jersey.

It was the third quarter when Parsons was seen lying on a medical table behind the Cowboys’ bench, sparking interest in his future. Earlier in the day, Parsons had a magnetic resonance imaging, (MRI), because of complaints of back soreness. Results from the MRI showed no structural damage, reassuring the team that their linebacker showed no injury.

During the game, while Parsons was lying on the medical table, he looked like he was asleep. This act was seen by many as disrespectful toward the fans, the Cowboys’ organization and his teammates.

Many have speculated that these acts are a way to gain attention and either get traded or receive an extension of his contract. At the beginning of August, Parsons made a formal request to be traded, saying he “no longer wants to play for the Dallas Cowboys.” The request was denied by the team.

Meanwhile, Cowboys owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, has labeled this as a “part of the negotiations for a contract extension.” Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is set to meet with linebacker Micah Parsons on Sunday to discuss recent events.

Until they have their meeting, Coach Schottenheimer will not talk publicly about the incident.

Eyes are set on week one of the NFL season, as the Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles on September 4.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is dealing with a minor foot sprain and could miss a portion of training camp later this month to recover. Prescott was seen wearing a wearing a walking boot on vacation Thursday but the team is confident that he will be available for the start of the season.

According to NFL’s Ian Rapoport, Prescott received an MRI earlier this week and described the sprain as a “minor issue.” He was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when reports surfaced that he was wearing the boot, likely a precautionary measure while he takes time to heal.

Prescott’s public life has been eventful in recent months. Just last week, a judge in Texas dismissed a case accusing him of sexual assault after a two-month criminal investigation failed to find evidence of wrongdoing. The quarterback still has a countersuit for extortion ongoing.

While his legal proceedings continue, Prescott is also reportedly negotiating with the Cowboys about a potential contract extension as the team considers its future. The eight-year veteran has led Dallas to the playoffs five times, but the team has not even appeared in an NFC Championship game in that span.

The Cowboys have several long-term decisions to make, as the team must also negotiate new deals with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and defensive standout Micah Parsons soon, or else risk losing them to free agency. Dallas has built a team worthy of a dynasty but has not delivered, leaving them in a position where they will have to either buy in again or sacrifice talent in the near future.

After a resurgent 2023 regular season in which he threw for 4,516 yards, Prescott had a disastrous postseason showing against the Green Bay Packers, throwing two early interceptions and arguably costing Dallas the game. His performance in high-pressure situations has long been a point of contention, but he remains one of the most dynamic passers in the league and will demand a high asking price for any potential extension.

On the basis of “insufficient evidence,” a judge in Collin County, Texas, has dismissed a lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for sexual assault last week. Prescott’s countersuit and potential extortion charges against the woman are still active.

In January, two lawyers sent a letter on behalf of a woman who accused Prescott of exposing himself and later raping her in the back of a vehicle on the way to a strip club in February 2017. The woman was seeking $100 million in damages. Prescott denied the accusation in the letter and filed a lawsuit for extortion, prompting her to take legal action as well in March.

Following an investigation, Dallas police announced in May that they would not pursue criminal charges against Prescott due to a lack of evidence. Collin County Judge Angela Tucker dismissed the lawsuit for the same reason.

“Despite [the woman’s] and her legal team’s relentless efforts to extort money and damage Dak’s reputation, justice has consistently prevailed and will continue to do so,” Levi McCathern, Prescott’s attorney, said in a statement after the dismissal.

Prescott has denied the accusations in public, with his legal representatives accusing the woman of making a weak extortion attempt years after the alleged incident. Prescott’s attorney has previously said that he does not wish to profit from any potential winnings in the countersuit, and intends to donate all proceeds to charities representing sexual assault survivors.

The Cowboys quarterback, 30, is entering the final year of his current contract with the team, and could reportedly be in talks for an extension. He has denied that the investigation and lawsuit have impacted his dealings with the Cowboys or NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys declined to pick up a fifth-year option for quarterback Trey Lance, putting the former 49ers first-rounder’s future beyond the 2024 season in jeopardy. Though the Cowboys reportedly may still support Lance as a backup passer, they saved $22.4 million by declining the option to extend the player.

Drafted by San Francisco with the third overall pick in 2021, Lance spent most of his rookie season behind quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo but was named the 2022 starter in his second season. However, he played in just two games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Brock Purdy eventually replaced him and led the team to the NFC Championship and Super Bowl in his first two seasons.

With Purdy slowly taking complete control of the starting quarterback role, the 49ers traded Lance to the Cowboys during the 2023 season. Declining his fifth-year option now is merely a formality, as Dallas is firmly behind quarterback Dak Prescott. Owner Jerry Jones said last month that Lance was trending in the right direction, but there are no plans to prepare him for the starting role in the future.

Though Lance is a victim of poor luck, he is still a contributing member of a notoriously weak 2021 draft class of quarterbacks. Of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round that year, first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence is the only one still on the team he was drafted by. Lance, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones have all been traded away, showing small flashes of ability during their careers but never enough to earn sustained success.

Of that underperforming quintet, Lance is the only one who has yet to get an extended opportunity as a starting quarterback, as his only real chance in 2022 was cut extremely short by injury. If Prescott suffers a setback in the next year, Lance could get another chance if he can beat out veteran quarterback Cooper Rush for the backup position this offseason.

There have been new developments surrounding the death of former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber. The cause of death is believed to be heatstroke according to the Collin County office of the medical examiner.

Marion Barber Cause Of Death

Police found Barber dead in his home on June 1 when they conducted a welfare check on his apartment in Frisco, Texas. Barber’s death had been ruled an accident, however, new details show that heatstroke may have been the determining factor. 

The autopsy report shows that Barber was found inside a shower without the water running while another shower in the apartment was running. The thermostat was also set to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. “I am of the opinion that Marion Sylvester Barber III, a 38-year-old male, died of heat stroke,” county medical examiner William Rohr said in the report. “Mr. Barber was known to exercise in sauna-like conditions.”

The report also showed traces of diphenhydramine and ethanol within Barber’s bile. The ethanol was most likely the result of decomposition while diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to treat the common cold. “Diphenhydramine concentration in the bile indicated use of the medication and cannot be related to overuse. Its use is associated with increased risk for heat-related illnesses.” Rohr said. 

Heatstroke is caused by the body overheating, “usually as a result of prolonged exposure, or physical exertion, in high temperatures.” According to Mayo Clinic, it is “the most serious form of heat injury.”

There have been a number of football players who have suffered fatally from heatstroke. In the NFL, NFL offensive lineman Korey Stringer collapsed and died during a Minnesota Viking’s practice. Most recently, sophomore offensive lineman Jordan McNair was hospitalized after struggling during a conditioning test with the University of Maryland football time. He was hospitalized and later died. He was only 19. 

As for Barber, he was laid to rest on June 22, as friends, family and former teammates attended a celebration of his life at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Hall of Fame Receiver Terrell Owens was a speaker at the ceremony.

Tragic news out of Frisco, Texas as former Dallas Cowboy’s running back Marion Barber III was found dead in his apartment on Wednesday morning. Dallas police stated that they went to Barber’s apartment to conduct a welfare check and were investigating an unattended death there. Police also say that there seem to be no signs of foul play.

Marion Barber Cause Of Death

The Dallas Cowboys expressed their grief in a statement, “We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III. Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and a love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Barber was a standout player at the University of Minnesota, where his father and two younger brothers also played. Barber played four seasons with the Golden Gophers, rushing for over 3200 yards and 35 touchdowns, good for third all-time in program history. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

He spent six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 47 touchdowns which are fourth all-time in Cowboys’ history. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2007 after rushing for a career-high 975 yards and recording twelve touchdowns. He put up these numbers despite not being the lead back In Dallas. His hard-nosed style quickly made Barber a fan favorite and he earned the nickname “Marion the Barbarian.”

Following his release from the Cowboys, Barber also played one season with the Chicago Bears, who also released a statement regarding his death, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Bears RB Marion Barber III,” the Bears said. “Our hearts go out to his family & friends.”

Barber had been in the news before, once in 2014 when he was detained by police and given a mental health evaluation, and once in 2019 when he was arrested on misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief that occurred in 2018. Allegedly, Barber damaged two cars while he was running. Barber has also been hospitalized multiple times due to mental health evaluations. Former teammate Dev Bryant had tweeted out a statement on Barber about a year ago, expressing his concern for the former running back’s mental health.

Barber would have turned 39 on June 10.

After leaving the NFL Network earlier this year, NFL legend Deion Sanders announced on Barstool Sports’ flagship podcast Pardon My Take on Wednesday that he would be joining Barstool and hosting a podcast called 21st and Prime. This is a big move for both Sanders and Barstool where Sanders will be able to reach a new audience on the Barstool platform and build his own brand. Barstool seems to be in a constant state of controversy with their owner Dave Portnoy tending to rile up the sports community periodically.

Sanders, who was on PMT earlier last week, said on Wednesday’s podcast, “I had no idea when I went on with you guys last time that this would transpire so quickly.”

The move also surprised many people who were speculating that Sanders leaving the NFL Network signaled that he would pursue a coaching career. Sanders reportedly refused to take a pay cut from the NFL Network after his contract expired, which likely means that he got the payday that he wanted from Barstool or at least sees the opportunities that the company offers him to build his own brand.

Sanders is also no stranger to controversy, especially when he took to Twitter earlier this year and criticized players who were opting out of the 2020 NFL season. “All Players OPTING out in all sports PLEASE BELIEVE the game will go on without u,” he tweeted. “This is a business & don’t u EVER forget that. There’s NO ONE that’s bigger than the game itself. Only the ref, umps & officials are that important that u can’t play without them. NOT YOU! #Truth.”

The Cowboys released a statement Sunday afternoon that said they weren’t going to offer coach Jason Garrett an extension on his contract that expires on January 14. Less than 24 hours later owner Jerry Jones announced the hiring of former Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that McCarthy had stayed over Jones’ house on Saturday night. “Once you stay at Jerry’s house, he doesn’t lose his guy,” the source said. McCarthy had interviewed for the Jets’ job, and passed on an opportunity to interview for Tampa and Arizona prior to this season. After the season concluded the Pittsburgh native spoke with the Giants, Browns and Panthers about their head coaching vacancies.

The organization only interviewed McCarthy and former Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis. Their approach was a lot different in 2010 when they interviewed ten candidates before hiring Wade Phillips. Garrett had been head coach since 2010 after taking over for Phillips.

Heading into the season there were high expectations and to miss the playoffs with this roster was simply unacceptable. Unfortunately, Garrett was the scapegoat as the team finished second in the NFC East with an 8-8 record. He leaves Dallas with an overall record of 85-67 and a 2-3 record in the postseason.

SLIDESHOW: GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

McCarthy coached Green Bay from 2005-2018 finishing with a 125-77-2 record and a 10-8 playoff record. Under his tenure the Packers reached the postseason nine out of his 13 seasons and in 2011 he won Super Bowl 45 inside his new home, AT&T Stadium.

His last two years in Green Bay were tough, however, as the team missed the playoffs in 2017 and fired McCarthy after 12 games in 2018. His relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers began to deteriorate as former players said Rodgers had allegedly changed plays that McCarthy had called during games because he had lost faith in the coach’s strategy.

Despite those reports, McCarthy is often credited with assisting Rodgers in his development. The Cowboys are hoping he can do the same for quarterback Dak Prescott.

Cowboys‘ tackle, La’el Collins, surprised his mother with a new house for Christmas Wednesday. The heartwarming moment was caught on video as Collin’s mother, Loyetta Collins, was dropped off in a van in front of her new home.

The NFL Officiating department had to get involved following confusion over the coin toss in the Cowboys game against the Rams Sunday.

Dak Prescott was the spokesman for his team during the coin flip and told referee Walt Anderson “we want to kick it.” Anderson asked him again and Prescott responded, “We defer to the second half.” There seemed to be a miscommunication as Anderson said, “Your going to kick.” According to NFL rules, if you say “we’re going to kick,” that means your team kicks off first and you will also have to kick off to begin the second half.

As the game went on Fox Broadcaster Joe Buck communicated to the TV audience what had happened and that Dallas would in fact have to kick off again in the second half. During the break, however, Anderson let both teams know the NFL league office in New York had audio that backed up the Cowboys claim that they wanted to defer to the Rams.

The league office was allowed to intervene, according to the NFL. In the official rule book under Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9, it states, “The replay official and designated members of the officiating department may consult with on-field officials, or conduct a replay review, of game administration issues, including: (a) penalty enforcement; (b) the proper down; (c) spot of a foul; and (d) the game clock.”

NFL Senior Vice President of officiating Al Riveron told ESPN, “It says that we can get involved, replay can, as far as game-administration issues: downs, enforcements, things like that. So, by rule, we can get involved. This is a game-administration issue, not a judgment call, for example. And we have definite audio that refers to deferring.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Reviewing the tape, it seems Anderson might’ve misheard Prescott. “We wanted to set adversity there instead of on the field, so we could play from behind immediately. Just bad use of words by me. We listened to the audio. We got it figured out. Just wasn’t the cleanest coin flip I’ve been a part of,” Prescott said after a 44-21 victory.

The Cowboys controlled the game for all 60 minutes. Prescott finished with 212 yards passing and two touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard ran for a combined 248 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Next week Dallas heads to Philadelphia in a matchup with the Eagles that could decide the NFC East Champion. Both teams are 7-7.

A U.S. District Court judge in Texas on Monday denied the NFL’s request for an emergency stay of the injunction he issued earlier this month that allowed Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to play in the team’s home opener against the New York Giants.

Ezekiel Elliott Suspension News

Elliott’s six-game suspension for an alleged domestic violence incident was placed on hold following the injunction.

Judge Amos Mazzant III’s decision now means 22-year-old Elliott’s case will advance to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, where the NFL has already filed an appeal in the case. The league has requested an emergency order in the case as early as Tuesday.

Elliott — the Cowboys’ second-year running back who set the NFL record for rushing yards last season — was suspended on Aug. 11 following a yearlong investigation that resulted in the league discovering that Elliott had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 in Ohio with his then-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. The NFL Players’ Association appealed Elliott’s ban on Aug. 15.

Arbitrator Harold Henderson denied Elliott’s appeal of the suspension on Sept. 5, although the running back was allowed to play against the Giants on Sept. 10 because of the timing of the decision.

On Saturday, the NFLPA responded to the league’s efforts to block the injunction by saying there would be no irreparable harm to the NFL if Elliott was allowed to continue to play while his case was adjudicated.

The NFL, meanwhile, argues Mazzant’s ruling interferes with a legally-binding labor deal that has been approved by the league and the NFLPA. This is the same argument the NFL used in ultimately successful appeals against Tom Brady for Deflate-gate and Adrian Peterson after the then-Minnesota Vikings running back pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault.

Mazzant’s review of Elliott’s case could take months, meaning the Cowboys running back almost certainly will play the entire 2017 season unless a stay is issued by the higher court.

Elliott was never charged with domestic violence and has denied any wrongdoing.

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys have had a depressing season with a notable setback in quarterback Tony Romo being out for the rest of the season after injuring his left collarbone twice throughout the season. With the season wrapping up yesterday in a division battle against the Washington Redskins at home in AT&T Stadium, a veteran star player did something off the field that has not been done in recent memory in terms of not receiving bonuses for on-field play.

Star linebacker Sean Lee was reported to have a hamstring injury on Thursday during practice. This was an injury that would cost the veteran a well-deserved bonus, a bonus on his contract that stated that if he played yesterday in the whole game, he would have played in 80% of defensive snaps this season and would receive a $2 million roster bonus. After warming up, Lee felt that it would be detrimental to the team if he were to take the field with the injury and asked the team to list him as inactive. Lee would have received the bonus yesterday because he was shy of 32 snaps and the Cowboys defense had accumulated 65 defensive plays against the Redskins.

“I’m blessed to be on this team,” Lee said. “My main concern is finding a way for us to be a better football team, a better defense next year, for me to be a better player and, for me, I wasn’t going to be effective today. I had to stay off the field because I wasn’t going to help our team.”

Thw Cowboys went on to lose to the NFC East champion Redskins 34-23 and finished the season with 4-12 season record.

Photo: SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 29: Middle linebacker Sean Lee #50 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on September 29, 2013 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Things are looking up and down for the Dallas Cowboys this year. While they are plagued with injuries, especially with quarterback Tony Romo out for the year, losing games and being out of the playoff race within the NFC East, there is one upside within the current offense.

During yesterday’s late afternoon game against the Green Bay Packers, running back Darren McFadden rushed for 111 yards on nine carries, making it his fourth 100-yard game of the year. With this, he has a total of 798 yards rushing which will ultimately lead to 800 yards rushing, his second in his eight-year career. The last time he had reached over 800 yards was in 2010 when he ran for 1,157 yards with the Oakland Raiders.

Despite his career-spanning season, the Cowboys are now 4-9 after losing to the Packers 28-7 yesterday in Lambeau Field. With no playoff hopes in the distance, the Cowboys organization have a lot of questions to answer, especially with star wide receiver Dez Bryant being dormant recently in the offensive scheme and head coach Jason Garrett’s future.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been sidelined for the last five games this season because of a broken collarbone he suffered during Week 2’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Because of his absence, the Cowboys have lost five straight games due to backup quarterback Brandon Weeden’s (and recently acquired Matt Cassel’s ) inability to produce.

Today, Romo took part in his first practice with the team, going through individual drills and notably throwing passes during the routes-on-air portion of practice, without recording an incompletion. Today was the first day Romo could participate in practice because of league rules regarding players placed on the injury reserve list, which the Cowboys have cooperated with in bringing Romo back when he is allowed to.

In shoulder pads, Romo threw routes to different Cowboys receivers like Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Jason Witten. “One of the things about Tony is in his absence he always stays engaged,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s not like he has been away. But it will be nice to see him out there throwing a little bit. He was throwing a little bit last week. That’s always a positive sign.”

According to league rules regarding injured reserve players, Romo will not be able to return until Nov. 22 against the Miami Dolphins, regardless if he is healthy before then.

Photo: PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 20: Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the start of a football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 20, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)