Dallas Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Green Bay Packers, trade package, Jerry Jones press conference, video

The Micah Parsons-Cowboys drama is over. And so is his tenure in Dallas.

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The two-time All-Pro edge rusher was traded to the Packers for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, according to multiple reports.

Parsons then agreed to a four-year, $188 million contract with Green Bay.

The deal — which includes $120 million in fully guaranteed money at signing — is the largest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history, ESPN reported.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fronted media at a press conference on Friday, where he at one point went on an 11-minute rant and mistakenly called Parsons Michael four times.

His overarching message for Cowboys fans was that it was the right move, both now and for the franchise’s future.

“Without being too broad, obviously, we did think it was in the best interest of our organization. Not only the future but right now this season, as well,” Jones said.

“We gained a Pro Bowl player in an area we had big concerns in on the inside of our defence.”

Jones then went one step further, claiming the trade would make Dallas “successful in the playoffs”.

“This was a move to be better on defence stopping the run, this was a move to if we get behind, not be run on,” he said.

Beyond explaining his reasons for the trade, Jones also lifted a curtain on his version of events when it came to the contract negotiations with Parsons.

“There’s no question that I could have signed him in April,” Jones said.

“So we all know to have agreements, all parties have to agree, but this was by design. I did make Micah an offer. It wasn’t acceptable and I honored the fact that it wasn’t done in the way that he wanted to do it through an agent.

“So he was made an offer. There’s not an ounce of vindictiveness. There’s no bad feelings on my part about the fact that we didn’t come together on an agreement.”

Jones went on to claim that the contract the Cowboys offered him was “more guaranteed than what’s here now (that’s) been reported”, calling it a “very genuine negotiation”.

“We changed the amounts and then we left and then he called back and talked to Stephen — Stephen negotiated amounts. We changed those amounts that he called back from,” Jones said.

“… Of course, the rest is history when the time came to say let’s go, then he said, let’s start the negotiation. Again, nothing in the world am I criticising Micah about at all. That was every bit his right. Micah’s never been anything but so pleasant for me to be around. I want to be real clear. … Things are good here.”

Right as the news broke about the blockbuster trade, Parsons took to social media to post a statement. The 26-year-old said it was his “destiny” to play for the Cowboys, a team cheered for while growing up in Pennsylvania, and he was disappointed to see his time in Dallas come to an end.

“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” Parsons wrote. “My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.

“This is a sad day, but not a bitter one. I’ll never forget the joy of draft night, the adrenaline of running out of the tunnel, or the brotherhood shared with my teammates, coaches and the staff who prepared me for every single game. Those memories are mine forever.”

Parsons has been one of the most impactful defensive players in the NFL since he was selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2021 draft out of Penn State. He’s accumulated 52.5 sacks — including 12 in 13 games last year, good for a 90 grade on Pro Football Focus — and racked up four Pro Bowl selections in as many seasons.

However, this offseason has been tempestuous, with Parsons, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, seeking a new contract in an ongoing standoff — which included a training camp hold-in — with the Cowboys and Jones.

In a social media post on Aug. 1, Parsons made clear he did not love how negotiations were going with the Cowboys owners and requested a trade out of Dallas.

“Unfortunately I no longer want to be here,” Parsons wrote. “I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates… I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Things took a bizarre turn during the Cowboys’ final preseason game on Friday when Parsons was seen eating nachos before the contest and resting on a medical table on the sideline during the action.

But as recently as last week, Jones called the notion that the team would trade Parsons “BS.”

“We’re not trading Micah Parsons,” Jones said on “The Stephen A. Smith Show. “He’s a key part of this team, and we plan to keep him right here where he belongs.”

Now, though, Parsons will join a Packers team that finished 11-6 with Jordan Love under center in 2024. Love revealed earlier this month on the “Up and Adams” show that he “recruited” Parsons a bit. Whether or not that moved the needle, Parsons will be wearing Packers green and yellow for the foreseeable future.

It won’t be long before he returns to Dallas to play his old teammates, with Green Bay playing the Cowboys on the road in Week 4 on “Sunday Night Football.”

This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.

MICAH PARSONS’ FULL STATEMENT:

“Cowboys Nation,” Parsons opened.

“Growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood who cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. Nearly everyone around supported the Eagles, but I always believed in the star. To wear the blue and white at Penn State and then carry those same colors into the NFL as a Cowboy, it was more than a dream, it was destiny.

“From the moment I arrived in Dallas, you embraced me and my family as your own. You made a kid from the east coast feel right at home in Texas. Every time I pulled up to work, every time I stepped onto that field, I felt the weight and pride of representing you. You didn’t just give me a jersey, you gave me a place to belong.

“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control. My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.

“This is a sad day, but not a bitter one. I’ll never forget the joy of draft night, the adrenaline of running out of the tunnel, or the brotherhood I shared with my teammates, coaches and the staff who prepared me for every single game. Those memories are mine forever.

“North Texas will continue to be my home in the offseason. I’ll still be here, giving back to the community that gave me so much. And no matter where the next chapter takes me, the bond we’ve built will never break.

“Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, and every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life.

With gratitude and love, #11.”