Green Bay Packers get Micah Parsons in trade with Dallas Cowboys

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay Packers agreed to terms on a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, with the Packers acquiring DL Micah Parsons in exchange for DL Kenny Clark and first-round draft selections in 2026 and 2027.

Parsons trade

What we know:

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news first. Parsons himself confirmed the trade with an X post.

Schefter reported the Packers already have reached agreement on a four-year, $188 million contract. The X post goes on to say the deal "includes $120 million fully guaranteed at signing and makes Parsons the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history."

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Parsons bio with Cowboys

What we know:

According to the Cowboys website, Parsons played four seasons with Dallas. Parsons was drafted in the first round – 12th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Parsons recorded 52 ½ sacks in his time with the Cowboys – his best year was 2023, when he recorded 14 sacks.

Parsons provides a huge boost for a franchise that has reached the playoffs five of the past six years but hasn’t made it to the NFL championship game since Aaron Rodgers led them to their fourth Super Bowl title 15 years ago.

Clark traded

Dig deeper:

Clark, who was selected by the Packers in the first round (No. 27 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, ranks No. 10 in franchise history in sacks with 35 and No. 4 in games played among Green Bay defensive linemen with 140.

Packers react

What they're saying:

Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Thursday.

"We want to thank Kenny for the incredible impact he made in the locker room, on the field and in the community during his nine seasons in Green Bay," Gutekunst said. "From the time he arrived in 2016, Kenny established himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the league and in the history of this franchise with his production, durability and leadership. He had the respect of everyone in the organization and epitomized what it meant to be a Green Bay Packer. Kenny will be greatly missed, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future."

Fans dream big

Local perspective:

Packers fans say they are all in on the team’s bold move to land Parsons, calling the blockbuster trade one of the biggest moments in decades.

Ryan Brown, manager of Brew Town Trading Company, said the deal is sparking excitement among collectors.

"The news was insane," Brown said. "Like, being a huge Packer fan, getting a guy like Micah Parsons is probably as big as getting Reggie White back in the day."

Brown said the trade could send the local card market soaring.

"He was already a very highly touted guy in the card market, so adding the contract and then hopefully adding a Super Bowl is gonna help," Brown said.

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Downtown, Chris Ricci said he didn’t believe it at first. 

"I thought it was fake. I thought it was fake," Ricci said. "I’m ecstatic. I didn’t love losing Kenny Clark, but if that was what we needed to do to get the deal done. Two firsts and Kenny Clark, that’s a steal."

The trade has also shifted betting lines. Johnny Avello, director of race and sports operations at DraftKings, said sportsbooks were quick to react.

"We’re really alert on moves happening like this," Avello said. "There’s a lot of trades that happen sometimes that make an impact, but not as much as this. This takes a team from being a contender to being a major contender."

DraftKings, which partners with a casino in northern Wisconsin, now lists the Packers as favorites to win their division, with Super Bowl odds up 33%.

The move isn’t a guaranteed success. The Milwaukee Bucks took a similar gamble last season by trading for Damian Lillard, only to see the season fall short. 

Packers fans, however, hope this swing will land differently — with a Super Bowl run.

Green Bay PackersSports