Micah Parsons Says Last 6 Months Were 'Super Toxic' Before Cowboys-Packers Trade

Micah Parsons was more than a little relieved to simply play football on Sunday, marking his debut with the Green Bay Packers by registering a sack, several pressures and a 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions.

"A super relief," he told reporters. "I'm telling you, like, these last six months were super draining, super toxic for everyone. It's something that I don't think any player should have to go through. I think players' fates should be decided earlier. I was traded a week before the season, it was really outrageous and rough. I could've been with these guys, getting better and better, and we probably could have had an even more dominant start if that was the decision we were going to make. I'm just happy that it's behind me. These guys embraced me, they believe in my talent, they believe in me, and I'm just gonna give these guys everything I have because I know what's at stake. I know what they gave up for me to be here, and I'm gonna do what it takes for us to win."

▶️ Full Lions-Packers Recap

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You know the details by now—Parsons and Jerry Jones had a falling out after failing to agree on a long-term extension, and the Cowboys ultimately traded him to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and a pair of first-round picks. The Packers promptly made Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, signing him to a four-year, $186 million deal.

It was a stunning decision from Jones and the Cowboys, simply because elite pass-rushers aren't generally traded in their age-26 season. And Parsons is elite—he now has 53.5 sacks in 64 career games, an absurd pace (0.83 sacks per game).

For context, the NFL's all-time leader in sacks, Bruce Smith (200), averaged 0.71 sacks per game during his Hall of Fame career. Reggie White, No. 2 on the all-time list with 198 total sacks, averaged 0.85 sacks per game. For a more modern comparison, Myles Garrett has averaged 0.87 sacks per game, while T.J. Watt averages an absurd 0.89 sacks per contest.

The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, it should be noted, have found ways to keep Garrett and Watt happy with new contracts (even when Garrett requested a trade). The fact that the Cowboys didn't do the same with Parsons is fairly unprecedented in the modern game.

But at this point, Parsons seems happy with his new home, and the Packers are certainly happy to have him. Once he's fully integrated and cleared to play his normal workload, the Green Bay defense could be truly scary.