Cowboys Reportedly Consulted 'Front-Facing Player,' Schottenheimer About Parsons Trade

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' stunning decision to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers was not done in isolation.

Per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys consulted with head coach Brian Schottenheimer and "at least one front-facing player" to solicit their input before agreeing to the deal sending Parsons away.

Four weeks after Parsons requested a trade, the Cowboys dealt him to Green Bay in exchange for two first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark on Thursday.

Parsons also signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension with the Packers.

Even though trading one of the best defensive players in the NFL would seem like a difficult move, Harris noted it was a "unanimous decision" within the Cowboys organization to move on from the 26-year-old.

There had been an obvious disconnect between Jones and Parsons over a long-term contract extension. Jones remained insistent that he didn't want to go through David Mulugheta, Parsons' agent, to get a deal done. Parsons said throughout the summer he wouldn't be negotiating a contract without his agent involved.

Parsons was also involved in a somewhat controversial moment in the Cowboys' final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 22. He was seen laying down on a training table during the game, which some interpreted as a message to Jones.

Parsons clarified he was only on the table for a brief period and would "never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives." He had a meeting with Schottenheimer earlier this week in which they discussed various things, though it wasn't specified exactly what they talked about.

The fact that things got so bad between Parsons and the Cowboys that the end result of it is him no longer playing for the team one week before they play in the first game of the 2025 regular season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles is a shocking turn of events.

Parsons goes to another NFC playoff contender and secured the long-term contract he had been seeking. The Cowboys will enter the year with a roster that still has good talent on both sides of the ball, but the defense has to find a way to quickly replace the 28 quarterback hits and 13 sacks he averaged over the past four seasons.