The Dallas Cowboys traded pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, the team announced Thursday.
The Packers will reward Parsons with a record four-year, $188-million contract that includes $136 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Jane Slater of NFL Network. Parsons’ new $47-million average annual salary is now the highest in NFL history for a non-quarterback.
In exchange for Parsons, the Cowboys receive a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round selection, and three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark from the Packers.
Parsons, widely considered one of the NFL’s premier defenders, requested a trade Aug. 1 amid stalled negotiations with the Cowboys. Team owner Jerry Jones originally said he wouldn’t trade his top defensive player. However, they weren’t able to reach an agreement on an extension, triggering a contract saga involving Jones, Parsons, and the player’s agent.
The 26-year-old was entering the fifth and final season of his rookie contract.
Parsons has earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four Pro Bowl berths, and three All-Pro nods (two first-team selections) in four seasons since the Cowboys drafted him 12th overall in 2021.
“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” Parsons wrote in a statement. “My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.
“This is a sad day, but not a bitter one. I’ll never forget the joy of draft night, the adrenaline of running out of the tunnel, or the brotherhood I shared with my teammates, coaches, and the staff who prepared me for every single game. Those memories are mine forever.”
Parsons has registered 52.5 sacks in 63 NFL appearances since coming out of Penn State. He’s posted at least 12 sacks in each of his seasons in the league. Green Bay hasn’t had a player record double-digit sacks in a campaign since Za’Darius Smith in 2020.
Without an extension and citing back tightness, Parsons didn’t practice with the Cowboys at training camp. But Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier this week that Parsons had been medically cleared to return.
He instantly makes the Packers one of the NFC’s best teams, upgrading an already solid defense that ranked fourth in defensive EPA/play in 2024. However, the Jordan Love-led Packers have won only one playoff game in the last two seasons.
Clark was a cornerstone of Green Bay’s defensive unit, having made 140 appearances with the team since being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft.
The 29-year-old will presumably start for the Cowboys, who now face more questions ahead of the new season despite their upgraded offense.
The Packers visit the Cowboys on Sept. 28. Dallas kicks off the 2025 regular season Sept. 4 versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
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