Cowboys Reportedly Decided Micah Parsons Trade Before Request, Eagles Offer Revealed

While it appeared that star edge rusher Micah Parsons forced his way off of the Dallas Cowboys with a trade request that resulted in him being sent to the Green Bay Packers, new details have emerged.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that the Cowboys actually made the decision to trade Parsons "a week or so before" he submitted his trade request. Glazer added that the Philadelphia Eagles made the "biggest offer" to Dallas to acquire Parsons with two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, but the Cowboys "obviously didn't want to trade him in the division."

Glazer explained that the Cowboys got a head start on things when they "started putting feelers out" before Parsons formally requested to be traded. He noted that "what they were hoping to do was trade him to an AFC team," and "they were shocked they could not get any traction anywhere from an AFC team."

The Packers ultimately landed Parsons by sending two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys. Green Bay signed the 26-year-old to a four-year, $188 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Parsons was listed as questionable for the Packers' season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he will be available for his team debut. However, sources told Schefter that how much he plays "is still to be determined, but it will not be a full workload."

The Cowboys already got their first taste of life without Parsons in Thursday's 24-20 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland recorded the team's only sack.

Dallas will return to action next Sunday against the New York Giants as it continues to look to prove that it made the right decision to ship away Parsons.