Once the Dallas Cowboys realized they weren’t going to reach a new contract agreement with Micah Parsons, they operated in the shadows to find a trade partner. It didn’t take long for the Green Bay Packers to emerge as a serious landing spot for the two-time All-Pro pass-rusher, and they were willing to make a major investment in their new superstar.
The Packers ended up trading two first-round picks plus three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark in exchange for Parsons. Green Bay also paid Parsons handsomely, making him the highest-paid defender in NFL history with a four-year, $186 million contract, an average of a record-setting $46.5M per season.
While the Cowboys were pleased to land Clark to help boost their attempts to improve the run defense, Green Bay reportedly considered replacing him with another player first.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys also discussed a Parsons trade with the Packers that would have sent one-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary back to Green Bay.
“Staying on Green Bay, I’m told pass rusher Rashan Gary — who produced 1.5 sacks Sunday against Detroit — was a part of Dallas’ internal trade discussion on the Micah Parsons deal. The Cowboys were looking to add a premier defensive player, and Gary’s name came up in the building before the move. The Cowboys ultimately wanted Kenny Clark, focused on defensive tackle play and run stopping, but Gary as a Cowboy was at least a notion kicked around at The Star. Despite losing Clark, Green Bay now has a vicious three-man pass rush with Parsons, Gary and Lukas Van Ness, who can play inside or outside.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Rashan Gary
If the Cowboys really are serious about stressing the importance of stopping the run, then it makes sense to prioritize Clark, even if he is two years older than Gary. Still, the 27-year-old Gary could have at least given the Cowboys more of a consistent edge-rushing presence after his Pro Bowl season in 2024.
Gary recorded 7.5 sacks last season and another nine sacks in 2023, making him a respectable pass-rush threat, but he wouldn’t have come close to matching the production of Parsons, who has never not had a double-digit sack season in his NFL career. Perhaps that’s exactly what the Cowboys wanted to avoid: a situation where fans are comparing the two edge rushers, knowing there is no 1-for-1 replacement for a player like Parsons.
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Sports fan since birth. I am also passionate about cars, music, and anything funny. Minnesotan, born and raised. Maybe ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ