In the wake of a shocking blockbuster trade that sent star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, a Dallas Cowboys legend has weighed in with a startling prediction about the team’s future.
With Parsons gone, the former All-Pro receiver believes the Cowboys’ struggles could run so deep that they end up with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a pick he thinks they will use on quarterback Arch Manning.
Why Does Dez Bryant Predict Arch Manning to the Cowboys?
Dez Bryant, a Cowboys great and one of the best receivers of his generation, took to X to voice his frustration over Parsons’s departure. He suggested that the Cowboys could become one of the league’s worst teams for the foreseeable future.
Arch Manning will have a star on his helmet.
Nobody can tell me different.
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) August 28, 2025
“Arch Manning will have a star on his helmet. Nobody can tell me different,” Bryant said on X.
Although the 2026 NFL Draft is still a long way off, and it remains unclear if Manning will leave college after this season, he is widely expected to be the first overall selection if he declares for the draft.
Bryant’s comment makes it clear he does not expect much from the Cowboys following the departure of their generational defensive talent. The question is, will this trade really drop Dallas to the basement of the NFL in 2025? Bryant seems to think so.
While this might just be an overreaction from Bryant, the team’s concerns are very real. The offense still has proven stars like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens, but the defense already had major holes, particularly in its inability to stop the run.
Without Parsons, the Cowboys could free-fall to the bottom of the standings in a competitive NFC.
What Did the Cowboys Get in the Parsons Trade?
In the blockbuster deal, the Cowboys sent Parsons to the Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft selections in 2026 and 2027. The Packers wasted no time extending Parsons, ensuring a new contract was in place before finalizing the trade.
Sources: the Packers are trading two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark for Cowboys DE Micah Parsons.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 28, 2025
Parsons signed a record-breaking four-year extension worth $188 million, immediately making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history with an average annual salary of around $47 million.
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The Cowboys will slot Clark onto their defensive line to start the season. Clark was a beloved figure inside the Packers organization and will be dearly missed by fans.
I LOVE YOU KENNY CLARK IM SORRY IT HAD TO BE LIKE THIS
— CheeseheadTV 🧀 (@cheeseheadtv) August 28, 2025
Still, Clark is certainly no throw-in. The three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick has been a mainstay of Green Bay’s defensive front for nearly a decade. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys aren’t walking away empty-handed, but replacing a four-time Pro Bowler in Parsons is another matter entirely.
For Jones, this move is almost unprecedented. It marks just the second time in his tenure that Dallas has dealt away a player fresh off a Pro Bowl season, and the shockwaves reflect that rarity. Optimists will cling to the hope that the Cowboys can avoid sinking to the league’s basement, but the outlook is undeniably grim.
The question now looms large: How many wins can the Cowboys scrape together in 2025 without their defensive cornerstone? With kickoff just a week away, expectations are muted and, for Bryant, downright bleak. His belief that Manning could one day wear the star offers a distant silver lining, but for now, his message is clear: panic time has arrived in Dallas.
