A massive exchange of resources figures to transform the NFC landscape immediately, with the Packers making an all-out move to reconfigure a flagging pass rush and a Cowboys team that has stubbornly resisted a rebuild now on uncertain ground. But who won the deal?
Let's hand out grades for maybe the most consequential move of the NFL offseason:
Packers trade grade: A-
Typically, dealing away premium draft picks for highly paid veterans is bad business for NFL teams. Between the selections involved and the massive bill that will accompany Parsons to Wisconsin, the Packers are paying a price that would be prohibitive for almost any player in the league.
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Except, of course, Parsons.
When it comes to one of the game's most important tasks in rushing the passer, the three-time finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year is very nearly in a class all his own. Of course, he has never won the award that peersT.J. Watt,Myles GarrettandNick Bosaall have claimed. But Parsons only turned 26 in May, and he's the only player beyond late legendary pass rusher Reggie White to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons.
For that, it's understandable why a Packers organization known for focusing on home-grown talent would take such a massive swing.
Jeff Hafley reinvigoratedGreen Bay's defense in his first year at the helm, with his aggressive scheme generating big plays and helping the unit rank fifth in yards allowed and sixth in scoring. But with a pass rush win rate that ranked 26th in the NFL, the coordinator seemed to be staring at a ceiling. Parsons should be a force multiplier forRashan Gary, who could feast in a complementary role, and the rest of the front that Hafley can count on to bring the heat.
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (2025) — Parsons, a perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher, requested a trade on Aug. 1 amid stagnant contract negotiations with the Cowboys. On Aug. 28, Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (2024) — Lamb didn't attend any offseason activities with the team after leading the league with 135 catches and setting career highs with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. The holdout ended when he signed his four-year, $136 million deal in late August 2024.
(Tim Heitman, Imagn Images)
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (2023) — Jones began his holdout at the end of July 2023, when the defensive tackle did not report to Chiefs training camp, and continued until after Week 1 of the 2023 regular season. Jones signed a one-year deal and returned to the team in time for Week 2. Jones went on to have a career year for Kansas City, recording 10.5 sacks and making his second straight All-Pro first team. After the season, he signed a five-year extension worth $158.75 million.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY Sports)
Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (2023) — After an excellent nine seasons with Dallas to start his career – nine years that included six first-team All-Pro selections – Martin held out of training camp while trying to receive a new deal. Martin received his deal – a two-year, $36.85 million contract – and played it out before retiring after the 2024 season.
(Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (2019) — After three excellent seasons with the Cowboys to begin his career, Elliott held out almost all of training camp for a new contract before his fourth season began. The result was a six-year, $90 million extension, which preceded four consecutive years of declining production before Dallas released him in 2023.
(Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)
Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers (2019) — Gordon had been averaging over 900 yards per season in his first four years with the Chargers heading into his fifth-year option season with Los Angeles, and he wanted to cash in on an extension. He went on to hold out of training camp, the preseason and the first three games of the regular season before reporting to the team with no new deal. Gordon started 11 games and rushed for 612 yards and eight touchdowns in his last year with the team that drafted him.
(Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (2018) — In January 2018, Bell warned the Steelers that he'd consider sitting out the season if the team were to place the franchise tag on him for a second straight year. That March, the Steelers used the franchise tag on Bell, who refused to sign the tag and went on to sit out the entirety of the 2018 season. He signed with the Jets in free agency the following offseason.
(Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)
Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks (2018) — Thomas sat out all of training camp and preseason activities as he held out for a contract, but never ended up reaching an agreement before he returned to the team just in time for Week 1. Four weeks later, Thomas was flipping the bird to the Seahawks' sideline as he was carted off the field with a broken leg. It was his last game in Seattle.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets (2010) — Adding to the drama of the Jets' appearance on "Hard Knocks," Revis sat out all of training camp and preseason action waiting for a new contract. He finally got a four-year deal with the Jets a week before the team's regular-season opener.
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders (2007) — Russell's holdout lasted all of his first training camp and extended through the first week of the 2007 regular season before the Raiders signed their No. 1 overall pick to a six-year deal. Perhaps in hindsight, the Raiders wish they had let that holdout continue indefinitely.
(Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE)
Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys (1993) — Smith led the NFL in rushing yards (1,713) and touchdowns (18) in 1992, then sat out of training camp and the Cowboys' first two games in 1993. Dallas went 0-2 without Smith, then paid him with a four-year, $13.6 million deal.
(TIM ROBERTS, AFP via Getty Images)
Kelly Stouffer, Arizona Cardinals (1987) — Stouffer – the sixth overall pick by the then-St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 – sat out all of his rookie season due to contract issues. The Cardinals moved to Arizona the following year and traded Stouffer to Seattle for two fifth-round picks and a first-rounder. Stouffer played in 22 games for the Seahawks and went 5-11 in his 16 starts for the team.
(Manny Rubio, US PRESSWIRE)
Bo Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986) — The Buccaneers hosted Jackson on a visit to team facilities while he was still in college, but their use of a private plane to get him there rendered him ineligible to play his final season of college baseball. Jackson was so furious with Tampa Bay that he refused to play for them despite being the No. 1 overall pick of the 1986 NFL Draft. A year later, the Raiders drafted Jackson in the seventh round and allowed him to continue his baseball career with the Kansas City Royals.
(US PRESSWIRE)
Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (1985) — Dickerson set the all-time, single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984 and wanted to cash in on his success with a new contract. When the Rams refused, Dickerson sat out the first two games of the 1985 season before eventually returning to action. The running back's contract issues with the Rams were never fully resolved, and he was subsequently traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 1987.
(Manny Rubio, US PRESSWIRE)
Duane Thomas, Dallas Cowboys (1971) — Thomas demanded a reworked contract ahead of his second NFL season, but the Cowboys declined. Thomas ripped into the team before refusing to report to training camp. Dallas then traded the running back to the New England Patriots, but the Patriots petitioned then-league commissioner Pete Rozelle to void the trade within days. Thomas was back with the Cowboys, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Dallas traded him to the Chargers the following offseason.
(Tony Tomsic, USA TODAY Sports)
1/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (2025) — Parsons, a perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher, requested a trade on Aug. 1 amid stagnant contract negotiations with the Cowboys. On Aug. 28, Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
1/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (2025) — Parsons, a perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher, requested a trade on Aug. 1 amid stagnant contract negotiations with the Cowboys. On Aug. 28, Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
2/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (2024) — Lamb didn't attend any offseason activities with the team after leading the league with 135 catches and setting career highs with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. The holdout ended when he signed his four-year, $136 million deal in late August 2024.
(Tim Heitman, Imagn Images)
3/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (2023) — Jones began his holdout at the end of July 2023, when the defensive tackle did not report to Chiefs training camp, and continued until after Week 1 of the 2023 regular season. Jones signed a one-year deal and returned to the team in time for Week 2. Jones went on to have a career year for Kansas City, recording 10.5 sacks and making his second straight All-Pro first team. After the season, he signed a five-year extension worth $158.75 million.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY Sports)
4/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (2023) — After an excellent nine seasons with Dallas to start his career – nine years that included six first-team All-Pro selections – Martin held out of training camp while trying to receive a new deal. Martin received his deal – a two-year, $36.85 million contract – and played it out before retiring after the 2024 season.
(Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)
5/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (2019) — After three excellent seasons with the Cowboys to begin his career, Elliott held out almost all of training camp for a new contract before his fourth season began. The result was a six-year, $90 million extension, which preceded four consecutive years of declining production before Dallas released him in 2023.
(Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)
6/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers (2019) — Gordon had been averaging over 900 yards per season in his first four years with the Chargers heading into his fifth-year option season with Los Angeles, and he wanted to cash in on an extension. He went on to hold out of training camp, the preseason and the first three games of the regular season before reporting to the team with no new deal. Gordon started 11 games and rushed for 612 yards and eight touchdowns in his last year with the team that drafted him.
(Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)
7/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (2018) — In January 2018, Bell warned the Steelers that he'd consider sitting out the season if the team were to place the franchise tag on him for a second straight year. That March, the Steelers used the franchise tag on Bell, who refused to sign the tag and went on to sit out the entirety of the 2018 season. He signed with the Jets in free agency the following offseason.
(Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)
8/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks (2018) — Thomas sat out all of training camp and preseason activities as he held out for a contract, but never ended up reaching an agreement before he returned to the team just in time for Week 1. Four weeks later, Thomas was flipping the bird to the Seahawks' sideline as he was carted off the field with a broken leg. It was his last game in Seattle.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
9/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets (2010) — Adding to the drama of the Jets' appearance on "Hard Knocks," Revis sat out all of training camp and preseason action waiting for a new contract. He finally got a four-year deal with the Jets a week before the team's regular-season opener.
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
10/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders (2007) — Russell's holdout lasted all of his first training camp and extended through the first week of the 2007 regular season before the Raiders signed their No. 1 overall pick to a six-year deal. Perhaps in hindsight, the Raiders wish they had let that holdout continue indefinitely.
(Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE)
11/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys (1993) — Smith led the NFL in rushing yards (1,713) and touchdowns (18) in 1992, then sat out of training camp and the Cowboys' first two games in 1993. Dallas went 0-2 without Smith, then paid him with a four-year, $13.6 million deal.
(TIM ROBERTS, AFP via Getty Images)
12/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Kelly Stouffer, Arizona Cardinals (1987) — Stouffer – the sixth overall pick by the then-St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 – sat out all of his rookie season due to contract issues. The Cardinals moved to Arizona the following year and traded Stouffer to Seattle for two fifth-round picks and a first-rounder. Stouffer played in 22 games for the Seahawks and went 5-11 in his 16 starts for the team.
(Manny Rubio, US PRESSWIRE)
13/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Bo Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986) — The Buccaneers hosted Jackson on a visit to team facilities while he was still in college, but their use of a private plane to get him there rendered him ineligible to play his final season of college baseball. Jackson was so furious with Tampa Bay that he refused to play for them despite being the No. 1 overall pick of the 1986 NFL Draft. A year later, the Raiders drafted Jackson in the seventh round and allowed him to continue his baseball career with the Kansas City Royals.
(US PRESSWIRE)
14/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (1985) — Dickerson set the all-time, single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984 and wanted to cash in on his success with a new contract. When the Rams refused, Dickerson sat out the first two games of the 1985 season before eventually returning to action. The running back's contract issues with the Rams were never fully resolved, and he was subsequently traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 1987.
(Manny Rubio, US PRESSWIRE)
15/15
Micah Parsons, Cowboys dispute among most notable contract holdouts in NFL history
Duane Thomas, Dallas Cowboys (1971) — Thomas demanded a reworked contract ahead of his second NFL season, but the Cowboys declined. Thomas ripped into the team before refusing to report to training camp. Dallas then traded the running back to the New England Patriots, but the Patriots petitioned then-league commissioner Pete Rozelle to void the trade within days. Thomas was back with the Cowboys, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Dallas traded him to the Chargers the following offseason.
(Tony Tomsic, USA TODAY Sports)
Very few teams are actually one player away from Super Bowl contender status. But Parsons is the rare talent who might put the Packers over the top - or at least keep them at the front of a hypercompetitive first tier of NFC teams. And with an abundance of young talent, Green Bay could afford to take bold action.
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Cowboys trade grade: D+
Well ... that's it?
The NFL offseason landscape was largely defined by cooler heads prevailing in heated negotiations, from Myles Garrett's resolution with theCleveland BrownstoTerry McLaurinlanding the long-term contract he sought from theWashington Commanders. Even perhaps the most acrimonious standoff of the summer was at least temporarily defused whenTrey Hendricksonand theCincinnati Bengalsfound a path forward for 2025.
Yet somehow Jerry Jones couldn't manage to de-escalate the bargaining nightmare of his own creation.
The self-inflicted nature of this clash is the most damning aspect for Dallas. In his departure, Parsons said, "I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control. ... Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process."
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While contentious contract talks between stars and teams are nothing new, the Cowboys - in typical and unfortunate Jones fashion - took things to another level by repeatedly airing out grievances, particularly regarding agent David Mulugheta's role in the talks. That didn't sit well with Parsons, who on Aug. 1 cited "repeated shots" as part of the reason he no longer wished to play for the team.
Micah Parsons #11 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17 at SoFi Stadium on October 16, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
Parsons receiving his wish, however, seemed far-fetched until Thursday, when reports indicated the Cowboys were finally listening for deals. With their star pass rusher gone, what are the Cowboys for 2025 and beyond?
Jones has furiously resisted any notion of a rebuild, unwilling to give off the appearance that his team isn't clawing its way to end a Super Bowl drought now standing at 30 years. Dallas already appeared to be wading in a sort of no-man's land for Brian Schottenheimer's debut season. Now, it's firmly stuck there.
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WithDak Prescottstill claiming the title of the NFL's highest-paid player thanks to a four-year, $240 million contract extension reached just last year, the Cowboys can't blow things up. Jones, of course, would never accept that outcome. The acquisition of Clark would seem to reinforce the stubbornness from up top. Sure, there's been a sizable void at nose tackle for some time. But how does inserting a player who will turn 30 in October move the needle for a defense that now has a massive hole on the edge? Good luck to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who has never been known as a heavy blitzer but will have to concoct some innovative ways to generate pressure with what now looks to be a pretty suspect group.
The two first-round picks are nothing to sneeze at, but barring an injury toJordan Love, the Packers likely are only turning over choices in the mid-20s. If Jones expects this trade to reboot his franchise, he's very likely overconfident in his own personnel preferences.
Jones has pushed back on many of the emerging narratives about his priorities. Inan exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell, he discussed the franchise's astronomical value and popularity by saying, "I explain it by hard work. I bust my ass. This exact same hard work that is going on in the football. I work my ass off."
Maybe it's not Jones' effort that's worth questioning. In this case - and many others - though, he's hustling backward.
