No, the Packers Won't Trade For Micah Parsons

Some of the elite names in the pass-rushing department have gone through quite the ride this offseason.

Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns only to re-sign on a massive deal. T.J. Watt never formally demanded a trade but was clearly unhappy with his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers before landing a new deal. Trey Hendrickson still hasn't worked things out with the Cincinnati Bengals, and now Micah Parsons has thrown his hat into the ring.

Don't get your hopes up. Parsons won't be traded to Green Bay, even if the Dallas Cowboys trade him.

There are multiple reasons why Parsons wouldn't land with the Packers. The likely outcome of all this is Parsons and the Cowboys singing “Kumbaya” together at the end of the day and ironing out their differences.

As for a match between Green Bay and Parsons, it's flat-out not going to happen.

Go back to January. At his presser to wrap up the season, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst

Gutekunst mentions trading a single high pick for a veteran player. Acquiring Parsons would likely require multiple first-round picks, and the only recent comparison to use as a reference dates back to 2018, when the Chicago Bears traded two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Khalil Mack, packaged with a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick.

Does Gutekunst sound like a general manager motivated to take a big swing on a trade like that?

No.

Just as with Garrett's request for a trade and Hendrickson's, the cost of doing business is too high for a Packers front office that cherishes having a surplus of draft picks.

Of course, adding Parsons to an edge-rushing group that fizzled out multiple times during the 2024 season would provide a hell of a jolt to Jeff Hafley's defense. Parsons is an elite player, something this Packers team lacks.

The Packers have legitimate stars like Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney, and will hopefully add to that group this year with Tucker Kraft, Edgerrin Cooper, and other emerging names. However, when talking about the elite of the elite in the NFL, Green Bay doesn't have many candidates in that category, and Parsons fits the description.

Still, considering the cap ramifications and the fact that Parsons would cost more than Garrett or Hendrickson due to his age, it's just not a move Gutekunst is going to make.

Secondly, getting Parsons would essentially be the Packers waving the white flag on Lukas Van Ness. While some fans would be more than fine doing so, the coaching staff, along with Gutekunst, have raved about the expectations of a breakout year for the former first-round pick out of Iowa. Per Gutekunst, in February:

Van Ness is cheaper and still has all the potential in the world, according to the Packers. Adding Parsons to the mix would push Van Ness out of the frame.

Lastly, you must consider the two parties that would be doing business here. Green Bay has dominated Dallas in recent years, especially in the postseason. The Cowboys have made the playoffs six times since 2015. On three of those occasions, the Packers ended their season. Two of those games were even played in "Jerry World." Green Bay and Dallas have met up 11 times since 2009. The Packers have won 10 of those contests.

Jerry Jones can hold a grudge. Jerry Jones can be bitter. He's not going to hand over arguably his best player to Green Bay. There'd be a bidding war for Parsons, and if the Packers and another team had anything close to a return package to the Cowboys, why would Jones choose to gift Green Bay Parsons?

He wouldn't.

Speaking of a bidding war, Gutekunst isn't the type to get caught up in that. He’s already hesitant enough about trading away draft capital, so he won’t continue to up his offer.

The best guess for how this plays out sees the Cowboys and Parsons come to some sort of resolution in which Parsons continues to wear the helmet with the star on it for the years to come. If that doesn't come to fruition, and Parsons is indeed dealt, it won't be to Green Bay. There are way too many factors that make it more than even a long shot.