The Dallas Cowboys won't designate Micah Parsons as a linebacker or defensive end when they pick up his fifth-year option.

The Cowboys won't make a designation, instead believing that the league and/or union will determine the position that Parsons plays.

The difference is significant. Parsons' fifth-year option salary as a defensive end carries a salary in 2025 of $21.32 million. As a linebacker, Parsons would be in line for a fifth-year salary of $24 million.

However, none of it matters if the Cowboys sign Parsons to a new deal before the deadline for exercising the fifth-year option.