According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the New England Patriots were one of multiple teams that showed interest in All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons.
It’s no surprise given the lack of a true No. 1 edge rusher in New England. The addition of an elite playmaker like Parsons would have sparked their defense in ways they haven’t seen in years. So it made sense for them to at least call in and check on the situation.
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The Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills did their due diligence as well. Russini wrote:
“About a week before the deal was finalized, word spread that the Cowboys’ stance on dealing their star had shifted. “We’re not trading Parsons” had quickly become “OK, what can we get?” That opened the door. The Colts, Panthers, Bills and Patriots all made calls and were told the price: two first-round picks, a significant player, and, of course, a record-setting contract.”
Parsons ended up getting traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks. He was then signed to a four-year, $188 million contract extension.
Even more so than the massive contract extension, the expensive trade cost was too much for a rebuilding football team like New England. They need all of the assets they can get to continue to fill out their roster for the future. So they opted not to pursue any further.
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Patriots coach Mike Vrabel recently spoke about building through the draft, which is an area he admitted the team has struggled with in recent years. That will probably be where the team looks to address their pass rush or wide receiver problem in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Latest report reveals Patriots showed interest in Micah Parsons