Did that really happen?
The Packers shook the NFL’s tectonic plates by trading a pair of first rounders and Kenny Clark to the Cowboys for generational pass rusher Micah Parsons.
The Packers have always been the traditional draft and develop team. They move at the pace of an iceberg, while the free-wheeling Cowboys have been more flashy with acquiring high-priced talent.
All that was laid to rest on Thursday afternoon. Numerous rumors have been floating around during training camp that Parsons would be traded, but when it became official, it put the entire NFL on notice.
“Great deal (for Green Bay),” said an AFC college scouting director. “Got an elite pass rusher for basically two second round picks. Packers hit a home run. Cowboys on the other hand.”
Ever since Brian Gutekunst’s introductory press conference as general manager of the Packers, he hit home that he was going to be aggressive. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned in terms of player acquisition,” said Gutekunst on Jan. 8, 2018.
And Ed Policy just took over as president and CEO on July 1 and he clearly wants to start his new regime with a bang. Policy and the Packers became serious Super Bowl contenders in one crazy afternoon.
The $47 million price tag is steep — in fact the steepest the Packers have ever paid for a non-quarterback. But Parsons is averaging 13.1 sacks and 57.7 hurries a season in his four years in Dallas. He was drafted 12th overall in 2021 because he’s wired to be an excellent pass rusher.
Bringing in Parsons suddenly means that Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness will never see a double team. They will see the fruits of this move tenfold and it will make the defense that much better.
Getting rid of Kenny Clark was tough because he was such a reliable work horse. He played 78 percent of the defensive snaps in 2022, 72 percent of the defensive snaps in 2023 and 63 percent of the defensive snaps in 2024. He turns 30 in October and will finish fifth in franchise history in quarterback hits with 76 and sixth in tackles for loss with 51.
The Lions proudly boasted the top pass rusher in the NFC North in Aidan Hutchinson, but that isn’t the case anymore. Parsons, 26, is much better at seeking the quarterback before ultimately destroying him.
Gutekunst and Policy have pushed the chips to the middle. The stakes have been raised. The Packers were a top five defense in yards last year. What is that going to look like this year?
What I really love about the trade is that it hides the team’s biggest weakness — cornerback. If the Packers can consistently get to the quarterback, it doesn’t really matter if the corners aren’t special. The quarterback will be too busy looking over his shoulder trying to figure out where the rush is coming from.
The three-time All-Pro joins former Packer legend and NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White as the only players in NFL history to tally 12 sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons. That’s a pretty good omen, because in White’s fourth season in Green Bay, he helped lead the Packers to a win in Super Bowl XXXI.
It’s go time for the Packers. Even though this team just got even younger, that is not an excuse. The table is set for a deep playoff run and anything less than that will be a disappointment.
And it’s all because the team in the smallest professional city in all of sports shocked the socks off of everyone. That’s pretty awesome.
Can get Micah Parsons matchups against big/slow OGs too...
Load/tilt a side and force isolated 1on1 battles, or sugar/mug threats on opposite side and force slide pass protection away from him pic.twitter.com/kGixDLbVCI
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) August 29, 2025