The Dallas Cowboys sent shockwaves around the NFL yesterday when they decided to trade superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. It came four weeks after Parsons first requested a trade, as Cowboys owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones resisted paying Parsons a top-of-the-market salary.
There had been rumors about Dallas opening itself up to trade conversations about Parsons. Still, they were widely expected to give in prior to Week 1 of the regular season — much like they have in the past with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
But in the end, Parsons’ asking price was too rich for Jones to pay, as he dealt his best defender to the Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Grading the Blockbuster Micah Parsons-Green Bay Packers Trade
As part of the deal, Green Bay agreed to pay Parsons handsomely, signing him to a 4-year, $188 million contract, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Jones held a press conference last night explaining his thoughts on the trade, including the acquisition of a run-stopper in Clark (a weakness of the Cowboys in years past), the ability of DC Matt Eberflus to scheme pressures, and the possibility of using their four first-round picks over the next two years in trades for active players.
But was it a good return for Dallas, considering they’re sending away a 26-year-old megastar in his prime? Conversely, is this a risky move from the Packers’ perspective to mortgage away their short-term future for one player while also including a Pro Bowl-caliber player in Clark?
We analyzed both sides of the deal, complete with a grade for each side. We’ll start with this trade’s main characters, which Jones likes to call “America’s Team.”
Dallas Cowboys Analysis
Once again, the Cowboys found themselves in a contract negotiation standstill. Just last summer, superstars WR CeeDee Lamb and QB Dak Prescott were in a similar position: seeing themselves underpaid and seeking a significant raise.
Lamb was signed first, becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in franchise history after agreeing to a four-year, $136 million deal. Then, on the eve of Week 1, Jones signed Prescott to a four-year, $240 million contract, making Prescott the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
After being asked one question, Jerry Jones talked for 11 minutes and 5 seconds straight
no one loves a press conference more than this man pic.twitter.com/8zuqLlLjIQ
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 28, 2025
That’s a large sum of money for two players, but the expectations were still that Parsons would receive top dollar in the summer of 2025 when it was his turn.
Since entering the league in 2021, Parsons has registered 52.5 sacks, the fifth-highest mark in that time period. He’s also forced nine fumbles and been a first-team All-Pro honoree in 2021 and 2022. Last season, he missed four games due to injury but still finished with a team-high 12 sacks — the next closest was DE Chauncey Golston, now with the Giants, with 5.5.
With Parsons now off the team, there’s a big hole in the pass-rushing department.
The Cowboys signed former Washington Commanders defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., who finished with 10.5 sacks a season ago. But it’s telling that the Commanders didn’t put up much of a fight in re-signing the 31-year-old.
Outside of last season, Fowler’s last double-digit sack year was in 2019, potentially making last season an outlier. He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Dallas, totaling 10 sacks across 34 games in two seasons. Expecting him to produce double-figure sack totals immediately is unrealistic.
The other presumed starting defensive end, Marshawn Kneeland, was a second-round pick in 2024 out of Western Michigan and failed to record a sack last season in 11 games played. The Cowboys drafted Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, who led the Power 4 with 16.5 sacks. But expecting him to produce from day one is unrealistic, as well.
Outside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown may have the most potential of them all, but he’s returning from a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL and won’t be back until, at the very least, October. And even when he was playing his best football last season, he’s no Parsons.
Kenny Clark as a Green Bay Packer:
🧀 9 seasons
🧀 3x Pro Bowler
🧀 417 tackles, 35 sacks
🧀 Was the last player on the team from the Ted Thompson EraTHANK YOU KENNY! One of the greatest to wear the G on his helmet #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/DpQftjFO4S
— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) August 28, 2025
Dallas has had trouble stopping the run in recent years, finishing in the bottom half in each of the last three years, highlighted by a 29th-place finish in rushing yards allowed last season. Meanwhile, the Packers ranked seventh in that same category a season ago. However, they also finished 28th in 2024 and 26th in 2023, with Clark playing in every game.
Sure, the rush defense can’t get much worse with adding a Pro-Bowl player on the interior, but to expect it to get significantly better is, once again, unrealistic.
Finally, the draft picks. Two first-rounders are nice, but it’s coming from a Packers team that has made the playoffs in each of the last seasons and picked at No. 23 (2025) and No. 25 (2024). Adding Parsons is unlikely to make them fall out of the playoff race and suddenly produce a top-10 pick.
Dallas Cowboys’ Draft Picks: Breaking Down How Many Selections They Have After the Micah Parsons Trade
At this point, with a depleted pass rush, a potentially nonexistent running game, and a first-year head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys’ pick is much more likely to be more valuable.
At the end of the day, Dallas got significantly worse from this trade. They managed to steal Parsons at No. 12 in the 2021 draft. Game-changing pass rushers normally don’t fall that far down the board, as they’re a value position in this era of the NFL. And yesterday, they gave him away. Regardless of the return, that just can’t happen — especially with Parsons just entering his prime.
Cowboys Trade Grade: D
Green Bay Packers Analysis
For the Packers, this was an offer they couldn’t pass up for first-year Green Bay president Ed Policy and general manager Brian Gutekunst. What a way for Policy to start his tenure as the Packers’ president and de facto owner. As a reminder, the Green Bay franchise is publicly owned, meaning the president operates as the owner.
Two first-round picks aren’t as huge a deal for the Packers as they may be for other teams, as they’ve been the youngest team in the league for three years running. Adding an established superstar in Parsons far outweighs adding two rookies in the next two seasons — which would likely be picks in the 20s, as mentioned.
On the field, the Packers lacked a high-level finisher who could be relied upon to get to the quarterback in the fourth quarter. In Parsons’ last fully healthy season in 2023, he was named Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded pass rusher in the fourth quarter.
New Packers LB Micah Parsons is one of two NFL players to have at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons.
The other was Reggie White. pic.twitter.com/kEVxJCCnH4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2025
But not having an elite finisher doesn’t mean Green Bay didn’t have talent in those positions. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that without Parsons, they have a more talented group than the Cowboys in 2025.
Defensive end Rashan Gary, a first-rounder in 2019, has averaged eight sacks per season over the last four years. 2024 second-round outside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper came on late last season and finished with 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. In his last five games, he totaled 31 solo tackles — more than his first nine games combined.
Packers 2024 ranks when NOT blitzing:
– 5th in opponent pass TD rate
– 6th in opponent INT rate
– 6th in sack rateMicah Parsons’ 20.3% pressure rate since 2021 is the highest in the NFL (min. 500 pass-rush snaps). 😤 pic.twitter.com/lEmKy888Hz
— PFSN (@PFSN365) August 28, 2025
The Packers finished tied for 11th in sacks per game last season. Parsons was not a necessity, but that brings up another key aspect of this deal: location.
Green Bay is not a free agent destination. Though it’s a storied franchise, free agents don’t yearn to spend their winters in the freezing temperatures that the Midwest poses each year. That makes the draft an extremely important aspect of team-building for the Packers.
Franchise cornerstones in recent years that come to mind: quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams, running back Aaron Jones Sr. — all drafted by Green Bay. Add in Clark, a first-round pick in 2016, and preparing for his 10th season on the team before being dealt.
MORE READING: When Do the Cowboys Play the Packers? Looking Ahead to Their 2025 Matchup After Micah Parsons’ Blockbuster Trade
When the opportunity came to acquire a player like Parsons, who’s on track to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and lock him in on a long-term extension, it was simply too good for the Packers to pass up.
This makes them better now, as they have a young nucleus of quarterback Jordan Love (26), running back Josh Jacobs (27), a slew of talented pass catchers, Gary (27), 2024 All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney (26), and now Parsons (26).
Green Bay got better now and in the future, as Parsons is just stepping into what should be the most productive years of his career.
Packers Trade Grade:Â A+
