Parsons spoke on Thursday and stressed that he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. He joked (although it seemed serious, but in a playful way) about only needing as much to have a lake house, so there is some subjectivity involved as to what the bare minimum amount for that would be.
To be frank, it is quite rare to see athletes turn down an opportunity to leverage their position into the most lucrative deals possible. Everything that Parsons said there is a dream of a statement from the front office, a group that would unlikely be as malleable on things as he appears to be.