The Dallas Cowboys are no strangers to tough negotiations, but the one with star pass rusher Micah Parsons seemed to drift further and further into uncharted waters as time went on. It finally reached a docking point on Thursday.
The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round draft picks (2026, 2027) and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Cowboys announced shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday.
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“This is a sad day, but not a bitter one,” Parsons wrote in a post on social media. “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.
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“North Texas will continue to be my home in the offseason. I’ll still be here, giving back to the community that gave me so much. And no matter where the next chapter takes me, the bond we’ve built will never break. Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, and every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life.”
Parsons and his agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, quickly agreed to terms on a four-year, $188 million extension with the Packers, the agency announced Thursday. The deal included $136 million guaranteed, making Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
There was a point where it seemed inevitable that the Cowboys would hit that historic marker themselves with Parsons.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Parsons met in March where a negotiation sparked. Jones said he “moved off his mark” a couple of times in the negotiation, but the two eventually agreed to terms that would’ve resulted in an extension. The problem then and the problem throughout this tumultuous offseason: Mulugheta wasn’t included.
Jones said he tried to send the details of his agreement with Parsons to Mulugheta, but Mulugheta said that agreement didn’t matter because Jones had yet to negotiate with him.
Ultimately, they never did. Parsons announced a request to be traded Aug. 1. He said he personally delivered it to Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones. Less than a month later, the Cowboys obliged that request.
“I really like Micah. I appreciate the four years we had him here,” Jones said during a Thursday evening news conference at The Star in Frisco. “He’s a great player … there’s no question that I could’ve signed him in April. To have agreements, all parties have to agree. This was by design … there’s not an ounce of vindictiveness.”
While Jones said Thursday evening the Cowboys have considered the idea of a trade for months, the possibility picked up recently. Parsons was seen during Friday’s preseason finale against the Falcons laying down on a trainer’s table. While it was brief, it was notable.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier this week that he and Parsons talked about the sideline conduct along with multiple other topics over the course of an hour-long conversation. Within that conversation, however, Parsons didn’t assure Schottenheimer that he would play in the season opener against the Eagles on Sept. 4.
Schottenheimer also said earlier this week that Parsons had been cleared to return to practice, setting the stage for a potential stand-off when the team returned to practice on Friday. Parsons didn’t practice all of training camp due to back tightness, he said. He even had an MRI exam recently with the Cowboys that came back “clean.” Parsons then reportedly sought a second opinion from Dr. Robert Watkins in Southern California.
Both sides, it appeared, were dug in. The standstill looked like it could linger into the season, where Parsons faced the possibility of missing games.
By Thursday afternoon it was clear the Cowboys were open to listening to other trade offers. By Thursday evening, they had heard enough.
Jones said Thursday the trade was in the best interest of the team in the future “and this season,” he emphasized.
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Jones also indicated that they were selective when it came to their potential trade partner. They went down the list of teams and their respective players and limited their options to teams that fit three criteria: they had to have cap space to take on Parsons, they had to exist outside of the NFC East, and they had to have a defensive tackle that could help the Cowboys stop the run.
The Cowboys do have some depth at defensive end. They used second-round picks in each of the last two drafts to select Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku, an All-American last year at Boston College. They signed veteran Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. They have high hopes for Sam Williams in the final year of his rookie contract.
Clark, a former first-round pick, even helps fill a need at defensive tackle for them.
But replacing Parsons won’t be easy to do. He’s been a Defensive Player of the Year finalist in three of the past four seasons. Only four other players had more sacks at the time they turned 26 than Parsons, who currently sits at 52.5. He’s already on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Now, he’ll continue it away from Dallas.
Thursday’s trade is also a shocking deviation from how things have previously gone with the Cowboys. Tough negotiations normally turned into big paydays. The last time they traded a superstar of this caliber was when they traded Herschel Walker in 1989.
“It’s an every-year conversation,” quarterback Dak Prescott said in training camp. “Whether it’s myself, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, now Micah Parsons. It’s part of it in a sense. It’s something that I wouldn’t wish anyone was going through. Absolutely not.”
Despite that, both Prescott and Schottenheimer indicated optimism recently that it would end well. They both were confident Parsons would be on the field against the Eagles in Week 1.
Earlier this offseason, Parsons pulled a joke on his teammates and Schottenheimer by calling them and wishing them goodnight. Schottenheimer, none the wiser, had a genuine response to the social media trend. He told Parsons he was handling his tough contract negotiation with the Cowboys well and that both sides would get through it.
“I’m thrilled to see where we take this thing,” Schottenheimer told Parsons. “We’re building something special and you’re going to be a huge part of it.”
Months later, Parsons is no longer part of it.
“I never wanted this chapter to end,” Parsons wrote on Thursday, “but not everything was in my control. 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.”
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