It finally happened: Micah Parsons got his wish to be traded from the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has decided not to pay the star pass rusher; instead, he sent him to the Green Bay Packers in return for two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark. Parsons then signed a 4-year, $188 million contract, making him the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL.
Parsons has been nothing but as advertised in his first four NFL seasons. The question begs: What does this mean for Jones and the Cowboys?
More importantly, will this move pay off for the Packers and make them contenders?
Next man up in Dallas
The Cowboys drafted edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round of the NFL Draft in April. For Jones to pull the plug on Micah in a contract extension year, the 44th overall pick must have really turned heads in training camp. But nonetheless, this move will certainly take a hit on the Cowboys’ defensive front. Dallas has two unproven new guys in Marshawn Kneeland and Osa Odighizuwa. Kenny Clark is not the player he once used to be, and veteran Dante Fowler Jr. had a resurgent year in Washington, but hasn’t been consistent.
Avoiding more drama
Jerry Jones has heard it all through this month-long standoff. He ended it on his own terms, sending his star edge rusher to a rival that bolsters their front four. But this trade will more than likely bring more drama than shutting it down, as Dallas has seen two franchise players traded this year, with the Mavericks trading Luka Doncic back in February.
The Packers get more help.
With the addition of Parsons, Green Bay now has Rashan Gary on the left and upcomers such as Karl Brooks and Devonte Wyatt. Green Bay was in the top 10 for sacks in 2024 with 45 and had 14 forced fumbles, and bringing in a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and four-time Pro Bowler can only help those numbers go up.
With a week to go before NFL Week 1, the biggest headline of the offseason has dropped. Green Bay and Dallas play each other in Week 4 in Dallas, so a homecoming for Parsons will be in play. How he is received by the Dallas faithful remains to be seen, if there are still fans by that point.
