The Dallas Cowboys traded star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two future first-round picks.
Parsons signed a four-year, $186 million contract extension with the Packers, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The Cowboys cited improving their run defense and Parsons’ contract demands as reasons for the trade.
With less than a week until the start of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys made the most surprising move of the offseason. The franchise traded away franchise edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Green Bay made Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history when the trade was completed.
Dallas drafted Parsons in the first round, No. 12 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s one of just two players from that draft class to make the Pro Bowl in each of the first four seasons of their career. The other is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Since he entered the league, only four players have tallied more sacks than Parsons: Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Nick Bosa. Three of those four players have won Defensive Player of the Year.
Parsons is entering his age-26 season and, barring injury, should have many more productive years ahead of him. He’s had at least 12 sacks in each of his first four years in the league. The Green Bay Packers have had three players reach 12 sacks in a season over the last decade: Za’Darius Smith in 2019 (13.5 sacks) and 2020 (12.5 sacks), and Preston Smith in 2019 (12.0 sacks).
Green Bay lacked production off the edge, and Parsons fills that need in a big way. Which begs the question: Why did Dallas make this trade? We’ll do our best to answer that here.
Why did the Cowboys trade Micah Parsons?
Cowboys general manager and owner Jerry Jones stated in a press conference after the trade that he believes the trade makes the team better overall.
‘Without being too broad, we did think it was in the best interest for our organization, not only in the future but right now, for this season,” Jones said. “We gained a Pro Bowl player in an area that we had big concerns in, on the inside of our defense.’
Those concerns included run defense.
“The facts are, specifically, we need to stop the run,’ Jones said. ‘We haven’t been able to stop the run in key times for several years… It was a prerequisite, and we only picked teams … that could pay Micah and had top (defensive) tackles.’
The Cowboys have used draft capital recently on pass rushers Marshawn Kneeland (2024 second-round pick) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (2025 second-round pick).
Jones also said the draft picks the team received for Parsons could be included in future moves.
“Nothing says we can’t use those picks to go get somebody right now,’ he said. ‘Don’t rule that out.”
Parsons and his representation seemed far away on contract specifics with Jones and the Cowboys. With big-money deals in the books for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys likely weren’t reaching the numbers Green Bay offered.
Micah Parsons trade details
This deal involved just two players and two draft picks. Here’s the breakdown:
Dallas Cowboys receive:
Two future first-round draft picks
DT Kenny Clark
Green Bay Packers receive:
Edge Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons contract details
Parsons signed a four-year extension once the trade went through, which makes him the latest player to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Here’s a look at the details:
Length: Four years
Total value: $186 million
Guaranteed: $120 million
Average Annual Value (AAV): $46.5 million
This contract kicks in starting in the 2026 season. He now leads the league in total value, guaranteed money and AAV among non-quarterbacks.
In total value, he’s now ahead of Bosa who sits at $170 million. Watt is second to Parsons in AAV at $41 million and total guaranteed money at $108 million.