Cowboys' Schottenheimer Says Micah Parsons Trade to Packers Was 'Unanimous' Decision

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday that the organization's decision-makers were aligned in their call to trade superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's blockbuster deal, Schottenheimer said, "At the end of the day, it was unanimous," adding that the Cowboys' goals for the 2025 season have not changed.

Amid a contract stalemate, the Cowboys sent Parsons to the Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Parsons was set to enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2025, but he made it clear that he wanted a new contract after other star pass-rushers such as Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders signed extensions this offseason.

On Aug. 1, Parsons posted a lengthy statement on X, noting that he had requested to be traded by the Cowboys:

Parsons claimed that he had positive contract talks with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but once he wanted to get his agent involved, the Cowboys stopped engaging in negotiations.

A few weeks later, Jones told Hall of Fame Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer) that he made an offer that "would've made [Parsons] the highest-paid guaranteed player other than a quarterback in the NFL."

Ultimately, the two sides couldn't reach an agreement, which prompted the Cowboys to move on from Parsons just four years after taking him 12th overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

Parsons was everything the Cowboys could have hoped for through four seasons, as he was named to four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro First Teams, while winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021.

The Penn State product also had 52.5 sacks in 63 games, and he became the only player in NFL history besides Hall of Famer Reggie White to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons.

Despite missing four games due to injury last season, Parsons led the Cowboys with 12.5 sacks, and no other player on the roster had more than 5.5.

DeMarvion Overshown, who had five sacks last season, is now the Cowboys' top returning player in terms of sacks, but he will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 campaign after being placed on the physically unable to perform list.

Dante Fowler Jr., who had 10.5 sacks with the Washington Commanders last season, is now by far the Cowboys' top pass-rushing option off the edge.

Although Clark had only one sack last season, the hope is that his arrival in the Parsons trade can potentially help Dallas' interior pass-rush. Clark dealt with a toe injury throughout the 2024 season, and he underwent offseason surgery to correct the issue.

Even so, Schottenheimer has a tough job ahead of him in his first season as an NFL head coach, as Dallas lost its best player from a defense that ranked 31st in the league last season in scoring defense and 28th in total defense.

Because of that, Schottenheimer may have to rely on what figures to be a high-powered offense led by quarterback Dak Prescott and the wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.