CLEVELAND, Ohio — Micah Parsons lost out to Myles Garrett for NFL Defensive Player of the Year two seasons ago, but he’s now got him beat in one key category: their paychecks.
Dealt from the Cowboys to the Packers on Thursday in a trade that rocked the NFL world, Parsons became the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL at $47 million a year.
The blockbuster deal comes less than six months after Garrett tried to force his way out of Cleveland and landed a $40 million a year extension on March 9 instead, which made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time. The distinction was short-lived, however, as Cincinnati receiver Ja’Marr Chase topped him a week later at $40.25 million a year.
Then, Garrett’s Steelers edge-rush rival T.J. Watt swooped in and supplanted Garrett as the highest paid non-QB in the league on the defensive side of the ball, signing a $41 million a year extension on July 17.
Now, Parsons blows all three of those contracts out of the water with his $47 million a year bonanza, less than six months after Garrett set the edge rusher market with the first “4” at the front of the yearly average. The Parsons deal drops Garrett to third-highest paid defender in the NFL, and tops Deshaun Watson’s yearly average by a $1 million a year.
Parsons and Garrett, both friends and rivals, will now meet on the field for bragging rights in Week 3 when the Packers visit Huntington Bank Field, just like they did in the opener last year when the Cowboys came to town. In that game, a 33-17 Browns loss, both players had a sack, but Parsons notched five quarterback hits to Garrett’s one.
Parsons’ trade to the Packers has also bumped him to No. 1 in betting odds for NFL Defensive Player of the Year at plus-600 according to DraftKings. Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson is second at plus-750, Garrett is this at plus-850 and Watt is fourth at plus-950.
Garrett has already stated his intentions to win the award again this year, so it will be game-on for the two premier edge rushers on Sept. 21.
Last season, Garrett finished second in the NFL to Cincy’s Trey Hendrickson (17.5 sacks) with 14.0 sacks, the same amount he had the year before when he won NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Parsons tied him for seventh in the NFL that year, and finished fifth last year with 12.0. Garrett will see Hendrickson on the opposite sideline in Week 1 at Huntington Bank Field.
Parsons’ addition to the Packers also just made life a lot tougher that afternoon for Browns starting quarterback Joe Flacco, a 40-year-old pocket passer who will have to get the ball out quickly.
As for Parsons, he didn’t downplay the battle for the best with Garrett last season, and he probably won’t again. Weary of taking a backseat to Garrett and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, Parsons made it clear last season he wanted to broadcast his value to the world.
“It’s really not about the number [of sacks I get],” he told reporters in Dallas before the opener last year. “It’s really about letting the world know, ‘This dude is really the best.’”
Parsons, who quickly jumped to Garrett’s defense after some questioned him beating out Watt for Defensive Player of the Year, poked the bear a little last when he responded “Lol” to Pro Football Focus ranking him No. 2 behind Garrett in their edge rankings. He also scoffed when ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posted his rankings from coaches and GMs with Parsons No. 3 behind Garrett and Watt.
Heading into the opener, he talked a big game.
“It’s the killer, the hitman, and the assassin,” Parsons said. " … the assassin, you don’t even know he’s there, you don’t even know he’s done it. Each time you really want to develop, and I think at this fourth year mark, for me, I think I’m ready to be an assassin.”
Unlike Garrett, Parsons managed not only to secure the massive contract, but to have his contentious trade demand met. The Packers, who gave up first round picks in 2026 and 2027 as well as Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to land Parsons, became the betting favorite to win the NFC North in the wake of the trade according to DraftKings.com.
Green Bay’s over/under is 9.5 wins, while the Browns is 4.5, which is why Garrett initially wanted to go elsewhere to win a Super Bowl this season.
But his tune completely changed in the wake of his new deal, with him setting his sights on both the Super Bowl and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in in his opening press conference of camp.
Parsons, the league’s new $47 million man, will try to have something to say about both.
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