Mike McCarthy spent 13 seasons as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and the last five as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He’s one of a few ways the two teams are connected: They’ll play against each other on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 28 and of course, they’ll now forever be connected through the blockbuster trade that occurred over the summer, where the Cowboys sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay for a grab bag of assets.

McCarthy has stayed out of the public eye since his departure from Dallas back in January, but accepted an interview with David Moore of Dallas Magazine. As arguably the best person to ask about anything involving Green Bay and Dallas, McCarthy talked to Moore about the blockbuster trade that sent Parsons to the Packers for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks.

McCarthy’s Take on Micah Parsons Trade

“From the Dallas perspective, they are a young football team and this gives them a lot of draft capital moving forward,” McCarthy said. “Kenny Clark – I’m not trying to compare him to Micah because he plays a different position, and I’m not saying he’s a better person – but he’s a stud of a man. From Day 1, when we had him in Green Bay, he was a top-notch person. I think the world of him.”

“That’s a really good locker room in Dallas, and Kenny is a really good fit. That and two No. 1 picks…I know there is a long-term component that Dallas probably doesn’t want to talk about with this trade, but I think they should feel good about that. As for Micah, he goes to a young team and another great organization. He can reach all of the goals he wants to reach as a player and a teammate. He’s in a great spot.’’

Clearly, McCarthy is under the impression that this was a win-win deal for both teams. He might be right.

Obviously, losing Parsons is a huge hit on paper for the Cowboys, but from a business standpoint, they unloaded a ton of money and got a pro-bowl caliber player in return. Even with Parsons, Dallas’ defense wasn’t anything to write home about, so it’s understandable that from their perspective, they’ve set themselves up for success moving forward. Clark has been a good addition to the Cowboys defense, having registered 10 tackles and a sack through three weeks.

Parsons has been quiet in Green Bay, at least compared to his usual standards of registering nearly a sack per game. But as a part of a Packers team that is just now hitting it’s Super Bowl window, Parsons has all the room he needs to grow with a young team and be an absolute force as Green Bay looks to push towards a deep playoff run.

Packers Head to Dallas For Sunday Night Football

The Packers came out of the gates hot this season, with wins over Detroit and Washington, but were shockingly ousted by the Cleveland Browns in week three. They’ll be an angry team heading into Dallas after a loss that shouldn’t have happened.

Meanwhile, Dallas has struggled to find momentum through three weeks, losing a tight battle with Philadelphia in week one before allowing the New York Giants to hang around before defeating them in overtime in week two. They were crushed by the Chicago Bears in week three.

Both teams have plenty of reason to come into Sunday night with anger and motivation to pick up a win. The Packers are favored by six and a half points.