In a stunning development, Micah Parsons requested a trade from the Cowboys on Friday. Parsons took to social media to announce he no longer wants to play for Dallas after the two sides apparently failed to make any recent progress on a contract extension.
Parsons, still only 26 years old, has posted 12 or more sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons, for a total of 52.5 sacks in 63 career games. In four seasons, he's won Defensive Rookie of the Year, finished in the top three of the Defensive Player of the Year voting twice and has been first- or second-team All-Pro in three of his four seasons.
He's arguably the most dominant defensive player in the league right now.
But Parsons has made it clear in his statement, at loggerheads with the Cowboys over his contract demands, that he wants to play elsewhere. Frankly, I still will be surprised if Parsons plays for anyone but the Cowboys this season, but with a trade request officially submitted, it at least makes sense to take a look at the teams that might be in position to make a huge play for Parsons.
Whether the Cowboys bite or not is another matter altogether.
Strictly from a who-needs-him-most standpoint, there’s a strong case for the Bills to do everything in their power to at least make Dallas an offer.
Sure, there are roadblocks everywhere. The Bills don’t have the cap space now to make a deal and sign Parsons long term. Making the kind of offer necessary to avoid an immediate impasse would gut the Bills’ draft till -- and they’ve been picking at the ends of rounds for a five years now, lowering the value of the picks they do possess.
But the Bills need to have tunnel vision on winning a Super Bowl now, having come achingly close multiple times over the past several years. Joey Bosa was a big-name addition this offseason, and Greg Rousseau is a top-tier rusher, but adding Parsons would take this defense to the next level.
When the Bills have needed a crucial defensive stop in several key games the past few years, especially in the playoffs, they have come up short more often than not. Adding one more elite defender could be the difference between a title and another missed opportunity for one. Finding a way to get in on the Parsons bonanza won’t be easy, but if you’re GM Brandon Beane, don’t you have to at least try?
The Panthers allowed the most points in an NFL season (534) and could use all the defensive firepower possible. Even after drafting Day 2 pass rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen this April, Parsons would immediately upgrade Carolina’s defense.
GM Dan Morgan tried to take some big swings this offseason, ultimately missing out on landing WR DK Metcalf via trade and failing to sign DT Milton Williams, so you could see how a big fish such as Parsons might prompt Morgan to place a call to Dallas.
And if by some wild stroke a Parsons-to-Panthers deal happens, Carolina just so happens to host the Cowboys in Week 6.
The previous Bears front office made a bold preseason trade for a then-27-year-old Khalil Mack (and a 2020 second-round pick) for two firsts, a third and a sixth-round pick. It ended up being a bargain for the Bears. The price tag for Parsons certainly would match -- and very likely exceed -- the Mack deal.
GM Ryan Poles has settled into his role, and this offseason might have been his finest hour. Somehow landing Parsons would make it a grand slam. The Bears could scrounge together the draft picks if they wanted, crippling as it might be. Finding the money to pay Parsons -- while planning for a possible Caleb Williams extension down the road -- will be the tougher part.
Parsons opposite Montez Sweat, with all the Bears’ other defensive line talent, would be a problem for offenses. Along with some quality back-seven players, it might be Chicago’s best defense since at least 2018. Even if it’s more of a pipe dream.
It would make sense that any team trying to manifest a Parsons trade would have a lot of assets to dangle. Enter the Browns.
Following the draft day trade involving Travis Hunter, the Browns own Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder and their own first. They have enough ammunition to make a major offer if they so choose. It also doesn’t hurt the Browns’ chances that they’re in the AFC and don’t play against the Cowboys often.
The Browns’ salary cap situation isn’t ideal, still weighed down by Deshaun Watson’s contract and committed to paying Myles Garrett more than $123 million guaranteed over the next few years. That would be a lot to pay two defenders, with Parsons likely seeking a deal that will reset the market at his position.
But for a team possibly turning to a young QB this year, or someone else next year, there’s justification for loading up on defense. A Parsons-Garrett pass-rush duo would also be borderline unfair, potentially one of the best pairings ever, and we know Garrett has been publicly supportive of Parsons' pursuit for a new contract. It would be a fascinating, if unlikely, mode of rebuilding the Browns.
Few teams are better equipped to handle the financial burden of a Parsons contract extension than the Raiders, both in the short and long terms. They’re sitting close to $40 million under the salary cap now and boast nearly $100 million in space for 2026, per Over the Cap. Paying Parsons wouldn't be the issue, even after extending Maxx Crosby.
And much like with a potential Parsons-Garrett pairing in Cleveland, the idea of Crosby and Parsons hunting AFC West quarterbacks for the next several years would be a frightening idea for the opposition. Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title with a dominant defense, and he could tap into a similar formula with another stud on that side of the ball.
New GM John Spytek hasn’t been afraid to make some bold moves so far, so it’s not hard to imagine the Raiders trying to land Parsons. But coming up with enough in an offer might be another matter entirely. It might take their next two first-round picks and then some, and the Raiders are not dealing from a notable draft-pick surplus the next few years.
If all goes well, the Buccaneers offense could be a monster this season. It was pretty darned good a year ago. But defensively, there’s work to be done if Tampa fancies itself a Super Bowl contender. Adding Parsons is the kind of move that can put a team like the Bucs over the top.
They added Haason Reddick this offseason, and Yaya Diaby is a young player with a bright future. But you could absolutely make room for Parsons on this defense, and he’d instantly add some real juice to a pass rush that went stale too often last season. Reddick might bounce back, but he had only one sack in 10 games, playing fewer than 60 percent of the defensive snaps last season for the Jets.
The Bucs appear to have the salary cap flexibility to take on a massive contract, and they might be closer to title contention than some realize. The last time they were this close, the Bucs swung a trade for Rob Gronkowski to help his buddy Tom Brady. As long as the odds would be to land Parsons, the seismic effect might be even greater.
The odds of the Cowboys trading a generational defensive talent to an ascending team within the division, with Parsons hypothetically rejoining former Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, feel even lower than the chances of Parsons getting traded at all.
It’s almost certainly not happening. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t make major sense for the Commanders, who were aggressive this offseason but did not add a true, game-changing defender.
Parsons and Quinn have a terrific relationship, with the latter overseeing the former in Dallas for three highly productive seasons before Quinn took the head-coaching job in Washington. The Cowboys had a top-10 scoring defense all three seasons they were together, and Parsons became a star under Quinn’s watch.
The mutual respect is tangible.
"Dan's my guy," Parsons said in early 2024, just before Quinn left for the Commanders. "And if he do leave me, it's always love. He might take me with him, you never know."
The Commanders have a disgruntled Terry McLaurin to offer as part of any theoretical deal, but the problem is that they lack second- and fourth-round picks next year, via the Laremy Tunsil deal. Consider this one the ultimate longshot.
