The Dallas Cowboys went to great lengths to ensure that Micah Parsons wouldn’t end up with the Philadelphia Eagles or another division rival in the near future.
Not only did the Cowboys trade the star edge rusher to Green Bay in August, they also included a condition that the Packers would have to give up their 2028 first-round pick if they traded Parsons to an NFC East team before the end of the 2026 season, ESPN reported Sunday. The Cowboys would also owe the Packers a 2028 first-round pick if they traded defensive tackle Kenny Clark to an NFC North team in that same stretch, ESPN added in its report.
Philadelphia was interested in Parsons prior to the Cowboys’ stunning decision to trade him in August. In fact, the Eagles made a stronger offer to the Cowboys than the Packers did, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported in September. Philadelphia was willing to part with two first-round picks, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and more for Parsons, according to Glazer. However, the Cowboys didn’t want to trade the Pennsylvania native to the Eagles and were hoping to deal him to an AFC team, Glazer added in his report.
Parsons was eventually traded to the Packers for two first-round picks (2026, 2027) and Clark. The Cowboys might trade one of those picks, agreeing to a deal with the New York Jets to surrender one of their 2027 first-round picks for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams earlier this week. New York will get the higher of the two first-round picks between Dallas and Green Bay.
The “poison pill” condition that the Cowboys and Packers put in the trade is rare, but there is some precedent. When the Packers traded Brett Favre to the Jets in 2008, they included a condition that New York would owe them three first-round picks if it traded the legendary quarterback to an NFC North team.
As the Cowboys took the extra measure to prevent Parsons from ending up with a division rival, it doesn’t seem like the Packers would want to trade him anytime soon. Parsons has 20 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in eight games this season, logging four sacks in the Packers’ past three games. Green Bay also gave Parsons a record extension as part of the deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a four-year, $186 million contract.
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