Winners, losers of Micah Parsons trade: Ample fallout for Cowboys, Packers
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Winners, losers of Micah Parsons trade: Ample fallout for Cowboys, Packers
Nate Davis, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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5 min read
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Just when you thoughtMicah Parsonswas going to become the latestDallas Cowboysstar to take the scenic route – literally and figuratively – to a nine-figure extension …
Just when you thought the latest NFL superstar to follow the hold out, hold in, I'm hurt, trade me, now just pay me playbook to riches would get his bag …
Just when you assumed all of that was unfolding as it so often has in so many NFL quarters − but particularly in North Texas −Jones and "America's Team" ship Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, a team much of America actually loves and has been typically relevant over the past 30 years.
Hoo 'Boys!
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)
Naturally, a deal of this magnitude immediately lends itself to dissection and declarations of who won and lost – so let's get to it:
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WINNERS
Micah Parsons
As he waited and waited in Frisco, Texas, and Oxnard, California, he eventually grew so disillusioned with Jones and his typically polarizing negotiating rhetoric, that Parsons opted to go public with a genuine trade demand. Amazingly, he not only got his wish, he was transferred to a better team, and reeled in a record-setting four-year, $188 million deal with $136 million guaranteed. Now set up to make $47 million annually, Parsons not only reset the contractual scale for non-quarterbacks by orders of magnitude − he surpassed recently extendedT.J. Watt, who is set to average $41 million per season − at 26 years old, he's nicely positioned to get to a third massive payday if his highly productive career arc (52½ sacks in 63 regular-season games) generally remains on its current heading.
David Mulugheta
Amazing what a good agent can do for a player when NFL teams actually invite him into the process.
USA TODAY Sports had already projected them as the 2025 NFC champions– look at me! – andtheir Super Bowl oddswill only substantially shorten from here. By virtue of their stability and the draft-and-develop approach GM Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur generally embrace,Green Bayhad already enjoyed the least disruptive offseason of any team in the NFC North. But Parsons' arrival will certainly further disrupt opponents of a team already armed with an upwardly mobile defense that finished tied for eighth in the league last season with 45 sacks.
TheDetroit Lionsstar is likely going to be the next pass rusher to get paid. He almost certainly won't pull down $47 million per, but Parsons' big deal should definitely help Hutchinson's cause whenever he bellies up to the table.
TheCincinnati Bengalsstar –set to make a mere $30 million or so in 2025– also stands to benefit from Parsons' windfall. Hendrickson would get at least a $36 million franchise tag in 2026 if Cincy goes that route, though that number could also rise as the pass-rushing pay scale continues to explode, Parsons taking it to another level. Barring that, Hendrickson will almost certainly command $40+ million per year from whichever team signs him next March.
That regular-season kickoff game against theCowboysnext Thursday is starting to look like little more than a speed bump for the reigning Super Bowl champions, who now appear to have only one legitimate challenger (Washington) in the NFC East. No team has won the division in consecutive seasons since theEaglessat on its summit from 2001 to '04 − but even harder to bet against them breaking that hex now.
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NBC
Packersat Cowboys, Sept. 28, "Sunday Night Football." Legit chance it's the highest-rated regular-season game of all time after adding this subplot to what was already a matchup of two of the country's most popular clubs.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones meets with outside linebacker Micah Parsons prior an NFC wild card game against the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
LOSERS
Jerry Jones
Sure, getting two first-round picks − albeit ones likely to land near the back of Round 1 − and a front-line player like Pro Bowl defensive lineman likeKenny Clarkisn't nothing. And the Cowboys will also havemuchmore salary cap space in future years to import and pay others now that Parsons won't take up a significant chunk of it, as QBDak Prescottand WR CeeDee Lamb already do.
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But, man. Jones just about literally drove his best player away, and that also sends a bad message to the guys currently in the locker room as well as the ones who might consider joining it. And given his summer shenanigans led to this outcome, hard to believe that fans won't continue calling for Jones to relinquish his de facto general manager duties ... not that he'll listen. And, heck, if players likeLaremy TunsilandJamal Adamshave fetched two first-rounders in trades in recent years, did Jones really get the maximum return for a player who could wind up as a generational pass rusher? It's quite feasible whatever shape the trio of Clark and his two future teammates takes, they won't actually fill the void left by Parsons, either from a production or public relations standpoint.
He quietly gave the Packers nine really good seasons, and his 10th teemed with possibilities – until … Sorry, dude.
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Brian Schottenheimer
Being a rookie head coach is tough enoughwithout losing your best player a week before your inaugural season starts. But while expectations are usually outsized around the Cowboys, maybe Schottenheimer, 51, at least enjoys a more measured grace period as Dallas clearly veers into something more adjacent to a rebuild.
Dallas fans
First Luka, then Micah. But, hey, the Mavericks wound up with Cooper Flagg, y'all − maybe the NFL script next deliversArch Manningto the Cowboys atop next year's draft? Right?
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