It caught everybody by surprise when the Dallas Cowboys actually did the unthinkable on Thursday and traded star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers following an awkward public back-and-forth between Parsons’ camp and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The outcome was devastating for the Cowboys, but the Packers now have what could be the missing piece for them to go win a Super Bowl, and ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky recently had a strong prediction about how the trade will age over time.
On Friday morning’s episode of First Take, Orlovsky said this will go down as one of the worst trades in the history of the Cowboys franchise.
“This will go down as one of the worst trades in the history of [the Dallas Cowboys] organization,” Orlovsky said.
"This will go down as one of the worst trades in the history of [the Dallas Cowboys] organization."@danorlovsky7 shares his thoughts on the Cowboys trading Micah Parsons to the Packers 👀 pic.twitter.com/yp4kHfomez
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 29, 2025
It’s hard not to agree with him, even though it might be short-sighted and reactionary to do so.
Simply considering the recent hauls other star defenders have gotten in trades in recent years, it’s fair to wonder if the Cowboys could have at least gotten more in return.
Jamal Adams and Khalil Mack fetched more than the two first-round picks the Cowboys received for Parsons, and it’s safe to say Parsons achieved more than either of them did prior to being traded.
Parsons just turned 26 and is already a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, and even if the Cowboys nail each of the first-round picks they got in return, it will be hard to stomach losing one of the absolute best pass rushers in the NFL.
Dallas has made some rough trades in the past, as they once traded two first-round picks for Joey Galloway, but this is going to be tough to top unless Parsons turns into a shell of his former self.
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