Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons stands as one of the premier defensive players in the league.

With his exceptional performances, he is currently the betting odds favorite for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award this season.

Notably, he finished as the runner-up of the league's top defensive accolade in each of his first two seasons in the NFL.

Born and raised inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, Parsons spent two seasons of college football with Penn State in 2018 and 2019, becoming a Consensus All-American and First Team All-Big Ten member in 2019, as well as a First-team Freshman All-American selection in 2018.

The 24-year-old was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the 12th overall pick, and he has wasted no time showing his prowess with "America's Team."

In just his first two seasons in the NFL, Parsons has not only earned Pro Bowl selections but has also been named First Team All-Pro on both occasions, solidifying his status as one of the league's elite defensive players early in his career.

Micah Parsons' Contract: $17.1 million

Parsons is currently playing under his rookie contract with the Cowboys, valued at $17.1 million for the first four seasons of his career. The deal also contains a fifth-year option for 2025, and the whole amount is fully guaranteed.

The pact was signed after Parsons was drafted in 2021. He is set to hit free agency in either 2025 or 2026, depending on the Cowboys' choice to pick up his fifth-year option.

Micah Parsons' Career Earnings

At the end of the 2023 NFL season, Parsons is expected to accumulate $14.1 million in career earnings during his first three seasons in the NFL, per numbers from Spotrac.

The figure does not include additional income from off-the-field endeavors such as endorsements and partnerships. Additionally, it has yet to account for several deductions such as taxes, agent fees and other business expenses.

By the conclusion of his contract, he is expected to have received the full $17,079,792 stipulated in his agreement.

Micah Parsons' Salary 2023

Parsons is slated to earn $2.3 million in the ongoing 2023 NFL season, all of it coming from his base salary, according to figures from Over The Cap.

The former Penn State player earned the most during his rookie year, where despite having a base salary of $660,000, he got his full signing bonus worth $9.7 million, for a total of $10,4 million in earnings in 2021.

For the 2022 season, Parsons took home a salary of $1.4 million. Looking ahead, in the concluding year of his contract, he is slated to earn $2.989 million in 2025.

Given his exceptional talent, experts believe that the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year could potentially secure a contract worth an NFL-record $32 million per year in the future, which would be the largest compensation given to a defensive player in NFL history.