Cowboys stun again, trade Micah Parsons to Green Bay

The blockbuster of all blockbusters.

Jerry Jones has certainly been known to mishandle contract negotiations like he did with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but this by far takes the cake.

Superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons is leaving the NFC East for the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Kenny Clark and 2 first-round picks.

The entire saga between Parsons and Jones could be an article all its own, but here are the key details that ultimately led to a divorce between Micah and Dallas.

According to Parsons, he first reached out to the Cowboys to negotiate a new contract before the start of the 2024 season. The Cowboys informed Parsons they were not interested in starting contract talks at the time. Parsons was fine with the decision and shifted his attention to the 2024 season.

While the season was a trainwreck for the Cowboys, going 7-10, Micah had another great season, totaling 12 sacks despite missing 4 games due to an ankle injury. He earned his 4th straight Pro Bowl, becoming only the 29th player to ever make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 4 seasons. Parsons then claims that after the end of the 2024 season, he told his agent, David Mulugheta, to again reach out to the Cowboys regarding a contract extension. One of the key details is Parsons claims he was ok with possibly leaving money on the table by not waiting for other pass rushers to receive their extensions first. He also claims the team did not respond to his agent’s requests.

The two sides wouldn’t discuss a contract until March during a meeting between Jones and Parsons. Parsons said he didn’t think of the meeting as a “formal negotiation” and said his agent would reach out to finish up the contract. When Mulugheta reached out, he again was ignored.

It’s also important to consider that Jones discussing a contract at all with Parsons could be considered a violation of the NFLPA’s rules because his agent was not present.

After requesting a trade last week, not many thought he would actually be moved. It’s commonplace in the NFL for players to demand trades simply for leverage, which is what made this trade so shocking.

All Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie can do is sit back and laugh. An already top-heavy NFC East with the Eagles and Commanders just got even easier to win.

Parsons has played 7 games against the Eagles in his 4-year career and has routinely been a difference maker, with his best game coming this past season, where he had 2 sacks in a 34-6 blowout of the Cowboys. With the season opener against Dallas exactly 1 week away, there couldn’t have been better news. You never want to count a team out before the regular season has even started, but it’s hard to see Dallas posing any kind of threat at all this season.

The Cowboys’ defense has been atrocious without Parsons on the field since he joined the team. When he’s on the field, they’re the best defense in football in terms of expected points added in the NFL. When Micah isn’t on the field, they rank 31st.

Even when you look past the logistics of the move, it arguably looks worse. You can imagine the Cowboys’ locker room is deflated before week 1. How are any of the players supposed to trust the front office and ownership after mishandling that so poorly?

However, neither the Eagles nor the Cowboys have seen the last of Parsons. The Cowboys and Packers are set to face off on Sunday Night Football in week 4 for Micah’s return to Dallas. 6 weeks later, the Eagles will travel to Green Bay for Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field.

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