NFLPA on Cowboys, Parsons Talks: ‘We Enforce Every Provision’ of CBA as Needed

Micah Parsons‘ agent, David Mulugheta, spoke at length on Tuesday about the breakdown of the relationship between his client and the Dallas Cowboys that led to his preseason trade to the Packers.

One of Mulugheta’s hopes was that the NFL Players Association would look into the competing claims and the concerns that the Cowboys were negotiating with Parsons in a way that merited punishment. “My expectation is the NFLPA, that’s what they’re there for: to protect player rights. I’d assume they want to look into this.”

NFLPA interim executive director has already addressed this, in a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press published on Wednesday.

Regarding negotiations between Parsons and the Cowboys – and the NFLPA’s role in these issues in general – White said: “There was tremendous, tremendous activity around that by our staff and we were in contact with all parties and were working with all parties on that, silently, quietly. And while everyone was asking the question, we don’t negotiate in the press. We don’t do our work in the press. We do our work behind the scenes and whenever possible in partnership and in conjunction with the member and the member’s representatives. And whether you’re talking about Micah Parsons or you’re talking about a number of other late-stage, high-profile negotiations, we were absolutely involved in that.”

Which is to say that the NFLPA will not just arrive on the scene now, if they decide to look further into how Jerry Jones and the Cowboys negotiated, or what Parsons’ role in those talks was in this back-and-forth, public battle.

White continued, saying that, “We intend to enforce every provision of the collective bargaining agreement when we think that there may be a violation. And the best way to do that is to call people and say: ‘Knock it off.’ When both sides are able to do that, when needed, that usually makes for a productive management-labor relationship. When it doesn’t work, for whatever reason, that’s when you take it to the next level, which is to file a grievance to go to court, or to take whatever action is available to you under the collective bargaining agreement. In this instance, and here you’re talking about Jerry and Micah and their representatives and the other folks involved, I will say Micah has found his way to Green Bay with a contract that he has publicly stated makes him happy, and that makes us happy.”

It’s unclear from all of this if there is more that needs to be investigated in the Cowboys’ actions – that White said “if there is a violation” and said that the NFLPA does not discuss details in the press as Parsons’ and the Cowboys’ camps have done hides that answer – but the larger point is that Mulugheta will get his wish: the NFLPA has had their eyes on these negotiations, and has already been involved, in order to protect the rights of one of their members. And if necessary, they will continue to look into it to the fullest extent allowed by the CBA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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