NFL trade grades: Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Packers - ESPN

Seemingly against all odds, Micah Parsons' contract dispute with the Dallas Cowboys ended with the superstar edge rusher being traded. On Thursday evening, Dallas did the unthinkable, dealing Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

The move paid off for Parsons, literally. Upon joining his new team, the Packers handed him a four-year, $188 million contract, which included $120 million fully guaranteed at signing.

Are the Packers legitimate Super Bowl contenders with Parsons? Did they give up too much for him? And where does this leave the Cowboys? Let's dive into that by grading the trade from both perspectives.

Packers get: Edge Micah Parsons
Cowboys get: DT Kenny Clark, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

Packers grade: B+
Cowboys grade: C+

I never actually thought this was going to happen. It might be even more surreal for Packers fans — they must be thinking, the Cowboys traded Parsons to us?

The franchise-altering trade came a week before the 2025 season kicks off, changing what we think of the Cowboys and Packers for this season and beyond. But before I break this down, I want to make one thing clear: There is a price at which it makes sense to trade every player, even Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But that doesn't mean Dallas got that type of return for Parsons.

Let's start with the fun side of this deal: Green Bay. Parsons has had between 12 and 14.5 sacks in each of his four NFL seasons, but those numbers don't fully explain his impact. On a down-to-down basis, he wreaks absolute havoc. Last season was the first time in his career that he didn't lead the league in pass rush win rate — he finished second.

Since 2021, Parsons has had a