Micah Parsons Traded to Packers from Cowboys, Reportedly Signs Historic $188M Contract

In a move that would have seemed shocking not that long ago, before a summer of drama, Micah Parsons' time with the Dallas Cowboys is over.

Dallas traded the star pass-rusher to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, who then gave him a record-setting four-year, $188 million contract that features $136 million in guarantees, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Cowboys received two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark in return.

Parsons was fired up about the move:

While it turned out to be anything but the case, there was a time when it seemed like a long-expected long-term deal with the Cowboys would come into place well before any serious discussions of a trade.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in June that "most people believe" it would be finalized before the 2025 campaign.

"And when it does get done, it is expected to make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history," Schefter added. "It will be a huge number. It should surpass Myles Garrett. It'll give Micah Parsons that distinction. And most people believe that deal will get done at some point here in the coming weeks."

The Cleveland Browns and Garrett reset the market at the time when they agreed to an extension that paid him an average annual value of $40 million.

T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers then surpassed that in July when they agreed to a three-year, $123 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.

It seemed like Parsons would be next in line with those blueprints already in place, but things hit a roadblock when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones turned heads during the early stages of training camp when he expressed concerns about a long-term deal because of the risk of injury.

That drew a response from Parsons in which he explained he was discouraged by how long things were taking with so many other players receiving contracts:

Those comments were just the start, as Parsons took to social media in August to officially request a trade:

"Unfortunately I no longer want to be here," he wrote, in part. "I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me."

He also explained he and Jones had some conversation about a possible deal even though "at no point did I believe this was supposed to be a formal negotiation and I informed Mr. Jones afterward my agent would reach out thinking this would get things done."

According to Parsons, the team then went "silent" after his agent reached out.

In the aftermath of the trade request, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the "Cowboys have no intention of trading" him, even though "teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability."

Teammate CeeDee Lamb was among those who expressed their support for Parsons:

For his part, Jones told reporters after the trade request, "What y'all don't know is what I offered him. And it's a hell of a lot more than you think I did. That's what you don't know."

He continued and said, "My point is, I reached. Make no mistake about it, I reached. Again, let's go back to this. This is a negotiation. Does it blow me up? Somebody to say 'Look, trade me,' that's just not a flare sign for me at all in any way. "

The drama continued in late August when Jones appeared on Michael Irvin's YouTube show and said Parsons' agent, David Mulugheta, "told us to stick it up our ass" when the Cowboys attempted to make an offer:

However, ESPN's Ryan Clark said he spoke to Mulugheta, who denied using that phrase in discussions with Jones:

The exchange was all the more notable since Jones previously said he didn't even know Mulugheta's name, which prompted a response from Parsons that said there "will be no backdoors in this contract negotiation."

The end result of all the back and forth was a trade even after the Cowboys previously picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in April 2024. That option was for $24 million in base salary in 2025.

Alas, his time with the only NFL team he had ever known came to an end with this trade, which ends a pattern for the Cowboys with their star players after they gave quarterback Dak Prescott and Lamb new contracts ahead of the 2024 season.

Fowler mentioned that history when he reported on the Parsons' contract negotiations in May.

"They want to keep Parsons long term," Fowler reported. "They do have a penchant for signing their star players, it just takes a little while. Last year, Dak Prescott didn't get his deal done until Sept. 8, right before the season; CeeDee Lamb late August. So, they could certainly draw this out, but they know what the price tag is, $35-40 million per year, for a player of his caliber."

That price tag is now the Packers' to worry about, although they will gladly take that concern to land someone who has more than lived up to the high expectations that were put in place when he was the No. 12 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

The Penn State product has developed into one of the best defenders in the league with a resume that includes a Defensive Rookie of the Year, four Pro Bowl selections and two First-Team All-Pro nods. He also finished in the top three of voting for Defensive Player of the Year in each of his first three seasons in the league.

Parsons finished the 2023 campaign with 64 tackles, a career-high 14 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery before following that with 43 tackles, 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended in 13 games in 2024.

His impact goes beyond the stats, though, as he is particularly difficult to block on an island. That forces double teams his way, which opens up blitzing lanes and one-on-ones elsewhere for his teammates who can then attack the quarterback or stuff the run along the line of scrimmage.

The best part for Green Bay may be that he could get even better over the course of this contract, as he is just 26 years old.

That would make the trade and long-term extension even more worth it as Parsons and his new team pursue a Lombardi Trophy during the coming seasons.