The deal Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst struck on Aug. 28 will forever be remembered as the Micah Parsons trade, and rightfully so. Parsons is one of the best players of this generation and a future Hall of Famer if he continues on his current trajectory. Jones dealing Parsons to the Packers in his prime is one of the most seismic trades in league history.
But as the Packers embark on a trip to Dallas for Sunday Night Football this week and Parsons faces his former team in his former home stadium, it’s worth remembering that Clark was no slouch during his nine years in Green Bay.
The 29-year-old was the Packers’ longest-tenured player, the lone holdover from the Mike McCarthy era as a 2016 first-round pick. A three-time Pro Bowler in 2019, 2021 and 2023, Clark inked three separate contracts in Green Bay, a sign he’ll one day be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on the first ballot. A dominant force on the interior of the defensive line for almost a decade, Clark may cause restless nights for the Packers this week, just like Parsons will for the Cowboys. Clark was a locker room cornerstone, too, held in high regard by those inside 1265 Lombardi Ave., whether players spent one year with him or six.