Micah Parsons Trade Fits This NFC Contender's M.O.
Headed into the final year of his rookie contract and set to draw a salary of $24 million, Parsons has done enough to generate a much bigger paycheck. Having earned a Pro Bowl nod all four seasons of his career, Parsons's salary falls well short of Micah Parsons, the NFL's highest-paid defender, who draws an annual average rate of $40 million per season.
There's been no indication that the Cowboys are actually willing to deal their two-time first-team All-Pro sack artist. If they do, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport believes there's one NFC contender who could make a play for him.
'I would expect that the Packers would be among the teams interested,' Rapoport said. 'That's the kind of team that I would say, if Micah was going to be traded, that he'd be going to.'
The Packers have all their own selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. They could very well use one or some of those selections to present a strong trade offer for Parsons.
But again, there's been no indication that the Cowboys are actually ready to listen to trade offers on their best defensive player. Of course, perhaps they'd have a change of heart if they received an offer too good to refuse.
Still, even if the Packers did trade for Parsons, they'd still have to do something the Cowboys haven't been willing to do at this point — Pay him market value while recognizing his worth as one of the best defenders in the NFL. After recording double-digit sacks all four years of his career, Parsons has earned that much respect.
While the Packers have struggled to find a consistent pass-rush threat opposite Rashan Gary, adding Parsons would end their fruitless pursuit of the next great young pass-rusher. They've invested first-round picks in Lukas Van Ness and Quay Walker. While both are projected to start this year, both of them combined couldn't come close to having the same level of impact as Parsons.
Plus, the Packers even doubled down, selecting defensive end Barryn Sorrell in the fourth round and Collin Oliver in the fifth of the 2025 NFL Draft. Of course, trading for Parsons would solve this position for years to come, as he's still just 26 years old and should offer elite production for at least five seasons, if not more.
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