FRISCO, Texas – It really happened. Never would've thought this would end like this. And even this morning, when the day began, I had an inkling this could actually occur, but deep down, I didn't really think it would.
And deep, deep, deep down … I didn't want this to happen.
Let me just make sure and clarify this from the jump: A big part of me hates the actual news that went down here late Thursday afternoon. When I heard that Micah Parsons had officially been traded to the Packers, there was an immediate pit in my stomach.
Because for everything you've heard about Micah, and probably will hear about him and his four years in Dallas, I'll say that he's arguably the most exciting player I've ever watched and covered – especially on defense. To me, he was the reason you didn't run to the bathroom when the defense was on the field. He was going to do something amazing – at least that's what I always felt. And I'll never forget that Week 2 game in Los Angeles when the Cowboys faced the Chargers. That's when it all really started for Micah because the world found out that he was actually an amazing pass-rusher off the edge. He was thrown in there because of injury and suspension to other players, but that day against the Chargers, Micah changed the defense instantly, and he eventually changed the course of his career.
And now here we are, the Cowboys have decided after four years to get rid of him, trading him to the Packers for two picks and a veteran player who has been great for Green Bay, but probably has his best days behind him.
I don't know if you can say that about Micah. But at the end of the day, that didn't seem to be the point.
Plain and simple – I'm just going to say it. The Cowboys never really had an intention to trade Micah. All through the offseason and during the "hold-in" at camp, the Cowboys weren't going to trade him. Even when he wrote the lengthy social post requesting a trade, I don't think the Cowboys even blinked at that. Jerry Jones said not to "lose sleep" over that news and sounded like it was business as usual.
To me, the Cowboys weren't ever even considering making a trade involving Parsons. Sure, in Thursday's press conference, Jerry and Stephen Jones both mentioned they had discussed the possibility of such a trade in the past, but it never seemed to be a legitimate possibility.
But something seemed to change here recently. To be blunt, I think the idea of trading Micah went on the table, when he laid on the table.
Could it be that simple? Of course not. There definitely was a lot more than that. But that move seemed to signify all of the Cowboys' fears and concerns about giving him more than $200 million. What did they say all along they wanted to see more from Micah? Some leadership? Some accountability? Some maturity?
There it was for all to see last Friday night when his teammates were playing a preseason game. Ok, so most of those guys on both sides of the ball were probably going to be cut and at best, re-signed to the practice squad. But it shouldn't matter. We all have our feelings about the final preseason game, but you definitely don't fold your arms and lay down on a table with your eyes closed.
And if you were paying attention in the press conference, the answers to that very question regarding Micah's recent actions, including the table incident, were a bit confusing. One reporter asked the question and Jerry started to answer but paused as he gathered his words. Jerry started his sentence by saying "that's not the way that you…"
In the meantime, Stephen Jones seemed to finish the sentence with "you make decisions."
But that's not what Jerry was actually saying. Jerry finished his thought that started with "That's not the way that you" and finished with "that you handle being a player in a team concept and the sharpness and paying attention."
Interesting. I think both can be right. Sure, you don't make decisions solely on something like that. But it does seem to be just the latest example of the type of person the Cowboys were dealing with the last four years.
Someone very close to the situation told me Thursday night that the Cowboys didn't cut Micah because he was laying on the table in the middle of the game. But, it's just one example that was visible to the world, but no different than many other things that seemingly took place.
As I write this article, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to fully grasp my thoughts and feelings.
On one hand, you want to buy in to the notion that it's better for the team in the long run, and having two first-round picks could create endless opportunities both this year and the next two. And that maybe they have solidified one major need in the middle.
But on the other hand, the Cowboys just lost one of the greatest football players in the NFL and one of my favorite players that I ever covered in my 26 seasons.
However, at the end of the day, this thing came down to money. It wasn't really about loyalty, or maturity, or stopping the run, or building to the future. Because if it was, then the Cowboys would've have all but agreed to a deal back in late March and early April. Sure, Jerry and Micah negotiated a five-year deal that would've paid him around $41 million per season, the highest contract ever for a non-QB. But clearly, that's not what Micah's agent and financial team had it mind. As Jerry said, "they started (negotiating) where I stopped."
And now Micah has a new deal worth $47 million per season over four years. In contract terms, they were never really that close to making a deal if that's where the Packers ended up paying him.
To the fans, they never really care much about that. Some of them would question how smart it would be to pay Micah a contract like that, but most of you just want to watch your favorite player rush the quarterback for your favorite team.
And if you happen to live in the Dallas area and are a Mavericks fan, then it's been an awfully-painful 2025 year in seeing both Luka Doncic and Micah Parsons shipped off to other franchises – franchises that will play your favorite team in the next few weeks.
Man, I just can't imagine the atmosphere for that Sept. 28 matchup at AT&T Stadium when the Packers – who have never lost there – come to town with a new pass rusher on the other side.
By then, I'm sure even more details will surface regarding the contract negotiations, perhaps some behind-the-scenes stories from Micah's previous four years, or who knows, possibly the Cowboys will have made a roster move with one of those two additional picks.
But the fact will remain – Micah Parsons won't be wearing a white jersey. He'll be wearing green – the only color that really mattered in the end.
