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The Micah Parsons Trade One Year Later: Terms, Picks and Legacy

The Micah Parsons trade sent the two-time All-Pro pass rusher from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers on August 28, 2025. Dallas received defensive tackle Kenny Clark plus Green Bay's first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Parsons then signed a four-year, $188 million contract with $136 million guaranteed, which made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $47 million per year (NFL.com).

One year later, Dallas has turned those picks into more players, and Green Bay is waiting for Parsons to return from a torn ACL. Here is the full trade, what each side has done with it, and where it sits among the biggest trades in NFL history.

Micah Parsons trade details: what each team got

Team Received in the Micah Parsons trade
Green Bay Packers Edge rusher Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys DT Kenny Clark, Green Bay's 2026 first-round pick, Green Bay's 2027 first-round pick
Parsons contract with Green Bay Figure
Length 4 years
Total value $188 million
Guaranteed $136 million
Average per year $47 million

Source for both tables: NFL.com.

Why the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons

The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons because a contract standoff never produced an extension. Parsons was set to earn $21.324 million in 2025 on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal (ESPN). On August 1, 2025, he requested a trade publicly, writing: "I no longer want to be here. I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present." The dispute centered on talks between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones that took place without his agent, David Mulugheta.

NFL.com reported that when Parsons' camp pushed for an extension, the Cowboys' answer was "play on the fifth year or leave." Less than four weeks after the request, Dallas traded him.

What Dallas gave up was one of the best starts to a career by any defender. In four seasons with the Cowboys, Parsons had 52.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and two All-Pro selections. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, joining Aaron Donald and Patrick Peterson as the only defenders to do that (NFL.com).

What the Packers got from the Micah Parsons trade

The Packers got 14 games of Micah Parsons in 2025 before a knee injury ended his season. He switched to No. 1 in Green Bay, a number no Packer had worn since cofounder Curly Lambeau wore it from 1923 to 1926. The NFL's 2021 number rule change is what allowed a player listed as a linebacker to wear it (Packers.com). Our guide to NFL jersey number rules covers how that change works.

On the field, Parsons had 12.5 sacks and was leading the league with 64 pressures when he tore the ACL in his left knee in the third quarter of a 34-26 loss at Denver on December 14, 2025 (ESPN). Green Bay still made the playoffs as the NFC's No. 7 seed and lost 31-27 at Chicago in the Wild Card round (ESPN).

For 2026, the Packers placed Parsons on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which rules him out for at least the first four games: the Vikings, Jets, Falcons and Buccaneers (FOX Sports).

What the Cowboys did with the Parsons trade picks

The Cowboys have already used Green Bay's 2026 pick, and the 2027 pick is tied into a second deal: whichever of Dallas's two 2027 first-round picks is better goes to the Jets.

Date Move Result
Nov 4, 2025 Sent the better of their two 2027 first-round picks, a 2026 second-round pick and DT Mazi Smith to the Jets Acquired DT Quinnen Williams (ESPN)
Apr 2026 draft Traded No. 20 (Green Bay's pick) and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Eagles Received No. 23 plus picks No. 114 and No. 137 (NFL.com)
Apr 2026 draft Used those three picks EDGE Malachi Lawrence (No. 23), CB Devin Moore (No. 114), DL LT Overton (No. 137) (SI)

Kenny Clark is still on the Dallas roster in 2026. The Cowboys restructured his contract in March and again in September to create cap room (Pro Football Rumors). The deadline deal for Williams is a good example of how teams recycle picks in season; our explainer on how the NFL trade deadline works covers the rules behind it.

Who won the Micah Parsons trade?

Nobody has won the Micah Parsons trade yet, because too much of it is unfinished. Green Bay's side depends on how Parsons plays after the ACL tear and across the rest of a $188 million contract. Dallas's side depends on how Lawrence, Moore and Overton develop, and on the 2027 first-round pick Dallas kept, since the better of its two 2027 firsts now belongs to the Jets.

What is already settled: the Packers got a player who reached 12 or more sacks in each of his first five seasons (FOX Sports), and the Cowboys have turned the return into Clark, Williams and three 2026 draft picks.

Where the Parsons trade ranks among the biggest NFL trades

The Micah Parsons trade belongs in the modern tier of blockbusters: a star in his prime, two first-round picks and a record contract signed on arrival. The closest comparison is Khalil Mack in 2018, another star edge rusher who was traded for two first-round picks and signed a six-year, $141 million extension with his new team.

Year Trade What moved
1989 Herschel Walker, Cowboys to Vikings 18 players and draft picks among three teams; Dallas used picks from the deal toward Emmitt Smith and won three Super Bowls in four seasons from 1992 (Wikipedia, NFL.com)
1999 Ricky Williams draft trade, Saints and Washington New Orleans gave all six of its 1999 picks plus 2000 first- and third-round picks for the No. 5 overall pick (Wikipedia)
2018 Khalil Mack, Raiders to Bears Chicago sent 2019 and 2020 firsts, a 2020 third and a 2019 sixth; Mack signed a six-year, $141 million deal (ESPN)
2025 Micah Parsons, Cowboys to Packers Kenny Clark plus 2026 and 2027 firsts; Parsons signed for four years and $188 million
2026 Myles Garrett, Browns to Rams OLB Jared Verse, a 2027 first, a 2028 second and a 2029 third (Rams.com)

The Walker deal remains the benchmark for sheer volume. By compensation for a single veteran defender, Parsons sits alongside Mack and Garrett, and his $47 million average was a record for a non-quarterback when he signed.

Micah Parsons and Kenny Clark jerseys

The two central players from the trade are both in the store: the Micah Parsons Packers jersey and the Kenny Clark Cowboys jersey. Deadline acquisition Quinnen Williams has a Cowboys jersey too, and the rest of the league is on the NFL jerseys page.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Cowboys get for Micah Parsons?

The Cowboys got defensive tackle Kenny Clark and Green Bay's first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Dallas later traded the 2026 pick, No. 20 overall, to Philadelphia for No. 23 and two fourth-rounders, then drafted Malachi Lawrence, Devin Moore and LT Overton with them.

How much is Micah Parsons' contract with the Packers?

Micah Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract with the Packers that includes $136 million guaranteed. The deal averages $47 million per year, and at signing it made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to NFL.com. He agreed to it as part of the August 28, 2025, trade from Dallas.

Why did the Cowboys trade Micah Parsons?

Contract talks broke down. Parsons requested a trade on August 1, 2025, saying he no longer wanted closed-door negotiations without his agent present. He was due $21.324 million on his fifth-year option, and Dallas traded him to Green Bay on August 28, 2025.

What number does Micah Parsons wear for the Packers?

Micah Parsons wears No. 1 for the Green Bay Packers. According to Packers.com, he is the first Packer to wear it since cofounder Curly Lambeau, who wore No. 1 from 1923 to 1926. The NFL's 2021 number rule change made the number available to linebackers.

Is Micah Parsons playing in 2026?

Micah Parsons began the 2026 season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list while recovering from the torn left ACL he suffered on December 14, 2025. Players on that list must miss at least the first four games, so his earliest return comes after Week 4.

Who won the Micah Parsons trade?

It is too early to say. Green Bay's return depends on how Parsons plays after his ACL tear. Dallas has turned the deal into Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and three 2026 draft picks, but one of its two 2027 first-round picks still has to be made.

Sources

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