The Dallas Cowboys sent shockwaves through the NFL on Thursday when they decided to send star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster trade.
Here’s everything fans need to know about the massive move, the lucrative extension Parsons signed in Green Bay and what’s next for the Cowboys:
The trade
On Aug. 28, days before the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a pair of first-round picks and 29-year-old defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Cowboys
“I never wanted this chapter to end,” Parsons wrote in a social media post, “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.”
The lead-up
It was a summer of discontent for Parsons and the Cowboys.
It came to a head in August, first with Parsons’ request for a trade and then with the Cowboys actually going through with it, but there were other signs as far back as early 2024 that the Cowboys weren’t exactly on the same page as their star pass-rusher when it came to a long term extension.
Read more: Key moments that led to the Dallas Cowboys’ trade of pass rusher Micah Parsons
What draft picks did the Cowboys get in the trade?
The Cowboys received the Packers’ 2026 first-round pick and 2027 first-round pick.
On the Packers’ side, Parsons and his agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, also agreed to terms on a four-year, $188 million extension with Green Bay. The deal included $136 million guaranteed, making Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Who is Kenny Clark?
Clark is a nine-year NFL veteran and a three-time Pro Bowler who’s spent his entire career with the Packers. He’s a big, 314-pound nose tackle who should help the Cowboys’ run-stop defense.
Read more about Kenny Clark here.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (right) responds a reporters question about trading defensive end Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers during a press conference at The Star in Frisco, Texas, August 28, 2025.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
What did Jerry Jones say about the trade?
“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. Jones said the trade was in the best interest of the team in the future “and this season,” he emphasized.
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.
Read more: Jerry Jones says otherwise, but Micah Parsons-less Cowboys look like a team on the rebuild
Reactions around the NFL
Unsurprisingly, many opinions were thrown around Thursday evening, from Parsons’ former Cowboys teammates on social media, to NFL Hall of Famers.
Here’s what Cowboys legend Michael Irvin said about the trade, who in recent days was adamant that Jerry Jones would never deal Parsons.
“I am absolutely in a state of shock right now,” Irvin said on his YouTube channel Thursday night.
“This is a gamble The Gambler should not have taken, in my personal opinion.”
He says the Cowboys were a Super Bowl contender with Parsons, especially after adding weapons on the other side of the ball. Now with Parsons out the door, Irvin could only express his disappointment and confusion with Jones’ decision.
“I know [Jones] loved Micah Parsons,” Irvin said. “In order for us to be right here, something had to go down to hurt Jerry personally to make this crazy, dumb move.”
Read more: National reaction to Micah Parsons trade: Dallas loses Cowboys star, Luka Doncic in months
More Micah Parsons coverage
— Grading the Micah Parsons trade: SportsDay experts weigh in on Cowboys’ blockbuster deal
— After painting himself into a corner, Jerry Jones’ only escape was to trade Micah Parsons
— Cowboys trading Micah Parsons is closer to Luka Doncic disaster than Herschel Walker heist
— Sound off! What do readers make of Cowboys’ trade of Micah Parsons?
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.