Good news: The Washington Commanders will not be facing Dallas star pass-rusher Micah Parsons twice per season anymore. The bad news: The Commanders will now face Parsons in the Week 2 edition of Thursday Night Football. On Thursday, one week before the 2025 NFL season opener between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks.
Yes, that happened. Parsons is no longer in the NFC East as Dallas traded away its 26-year-old franchise player.
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Parsons has been in a standoff with owner Jerry Jones throughout the offseason over a new contract. Jones had previously said he would not trade Parsons, but sent shockwaves across the NFL on Thursday evening.
In four NFL seasons, Parsons is a two-time first-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowler and 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has recorded 52.5 sacks, 63 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles in his career.
Parsons has long admired Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn was his defensive coordinator for Parsons’ first three NFL seasons, and the two remain close. However, the Commanders were not an option for Parsons as Dallas would’ve never dealt him within the NFC East.
So, yes, it is good news that the Commanders don’t have to game plan for Parsons twice per year. However, they’ll have their hands full in Week 2. Quinn mentioned on Thursday that some of his assistant coaches have been busy preparing for Washington’s Week 2 game against the Packers due to the short turnaround from the Week 1 opener against the Giants.
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It’s safe to say Quinn didn’t have preparing for Parsons on his list for Week 2.
Overall, Thursday was a good day for the other three NFC East teams.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders won’t face Micah Parsons twice per year now