This offseason, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once again found himself in a dragged-out stalemate with a player over a contract extension. That said, things ended with a much different final outcome.
Over the last few months, Micah Parsons joined Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb as the latest Cowboys player to have extended negotiations with Jones. Despite being one of the top defensive stars in the NFL right now, the longtime owner and GM was reluctant to hand out a lucrative deal.
As this ordeal went on, it slowly evolved into a worst-case scenario. By the time training camp rolled around, both sides were taking jabs at the other in the media. Things then reached a fever pitch on August 1st, when Parsons approached the Cowboys with a trade request.
Fast forward almost four weeks, and Jones decided to honor Parsons’ wishes. News broke Thursday evening that he has been traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Kenny Clark and first-round draft capital.
Jerry Jones gives his thoughts on the Micah Parsons trade
While many agree this trade leaves the Cowboys with a massive void to fill, Jones doesn’t see it that way. During his press conference after the trade was announced, he opened up on this move being a step in the right direction for Dallas.
“This was a move to get us successful in the playoffs,” Jones said, per ESPN. “This was a move to be better on defense, stopping the run. This was a move to, if we get behind, not be run on. And it was a deliberate move, a well-thought-out move to make this happen…In our judgment this gives us a better chance to be a better team than we have been the last several years.”
Clark, 29, might not be the same caliber of player Parsons is, but he can still provide a boost for the Cowboys. He’s racked up 35 sacks since being drafted in the first round in 2016, and has three Pro-Bowl nominations to his name.
In just one week, the Cowboys will have a chance to back up Jones’ confident remarks. They are set to kick off the 2025 season, facing off against the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles on September 4th.
This game was already set to garner a lot of attention, and now it will have even more buzz amid Dallas’ blockbuster deal.
