Rashan Gary #52 of the Green Bay Packers anticipates a play during a game against the Dallas Cowboys
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Rashan Gary #52 of the Green Bay Packers anticipates a play during a game against the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys executed a trade with the Green Bay Packers this offseason in order to change the colors of pass-rusher Rashan Gary’s jersey, and now they’re going to change the number written on it.
Dallas made public on Thursday, March 26 that the newest member of their edge-rush room is going from No. 52, which he wore for seven years in Green Bay, to No. 7 in Dallas moving forward.
“New Cowboys edge-rusher Rashan Gary will wear No. 7 this season. He had been wearing No. 52 in Green Bay,” Jon Machota of The Athletic reported via X. “Some previous No. 7s in Dallas: Steve Beuerlein, Randall Cunningham, Drew Henson, Cooper Rush, Ben DiNucci [and] Trevon Diggs.”
Rashan Gary Struggled Down Stretch in Green Bay Last Season
New Cowboys defensive end Rashan Gary
GettyDallas Cowboys defensive end Rashan Gary.
The Packers sent Gary to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick, which was a substantial win for Green Bay considering the team was likely to cut Gary otherwise in the interest of significant salary cap savings over the next two years.
It was only the most recent deal between the two longtime NFC rivals, with the Packers sending Dallas two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark last summer in exchange for superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons.
The arrival of Parsons should have improved Gary’s production due to more favorable matchups and less attention in general from opposing offenses, but Gary instead went the other direction down the stretch by playing some of the least impactful football of his career.
Gary’s play got no better after Parsons suffered an ACL tear late in the season, which led to Gary’s departure from Green Bay.
He now gets a fresh start in Dallas, with a new number and a recently renegotiated (and slightly reduced) annual average salary figure over the next two years, and a chance to reinvigorate his career.
Packers Need to Add Veteran Edge-Rusher to Mix While Micah Parsons Recovers From ACL Surgery
GettyDefensive end Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys
Meanwhile, the Packers need to find answers for their pass-rush, which is currently led by Lukas Van Ness, a former first-round pick who has largely underperformed his draft position across his first three years as a pro.
Parsons will return during the upcoming season, though chances are good he will miss between three and four games. Even when Parsons is back, the defense will need more depth. It also probably needs another veteran to help fill the void while the first-team All-Pro gets back up to speed ahead of his 2026 debut in either late September or early October.
“Names like Jadeveon Clowney and Leonard Floyd are still available, and both were productive given their age last season,” Matt Schneidman of The Athletic wrote last week about Green Bay’s need off the edge.
Clowney put up 12 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, 8.5 sacks, four passes defensed and a forced fumble last year with Dallas and has a market value of $5.7 million in 2026. Floyd produced 11 QB hits, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2025 and has a market value of $8.9 million next season.