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The Dallas Cowboys shocked the NFL world on Thursday by trading superstar linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers—just one week before their Week 1 clash with the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Following widespread fan backlash, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones addressed the move directly, framing it as a calculated decision to improve the team’s chances in the postseason.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, sharing what the Cowboys owner said when asked about the message he would send to the fanbase.
“Jerry Jones when asked what he’d say to Dallas Cowboys fans
This was a move to get us successful in the playoffs.”
Jones elaborated further during the press conference, as shared by DLLS Sports’ Clarence Hill Jr. on the platform too, revealing the reasoning behind dealing away a four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher just days before the season kicks off.
“This was a move to make us successful in the playoffs and stop the run”
The Parsons trade was finalized on Thursday, sending the 26-year-old defensive cornerstone to Green Bay in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick. The former Penn State pass-rusher inked a four-year, $188 million extension with the Packers immediately after the trade—making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $47 million per year.
From a financial standpoint, the trade clears Parsons’ $24 million cap hit for 2025, boosting the Cowboys’ available space to over $30 million. That flexibility could be used toward pending extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
But for fans and analysts alike, the move raises more questions than answers. While Clark provides interior strength to address long-standing playoff run defense issues, losing a generational talent like Parsons dramatically alters the Dallas defense heading into a make-or-break season.
The Cowboys owner’s remarks indicate that the front office is focusing on long-term playoff success rather than maintaining star power—a strategy that has drawn skepticism from many fans. The timing of the move, coming just before Week 1 and following a training camp centered around “all-in” messaging under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, has only intensified concerns about the team’s overall direction.
This trade also highlights a broader shift in how the franchise operates. Despite being the NFL’s most valuable brand, the Cowboys have struggled to convert regular-season success into playoff results. Their last postseason win came on January 16, 2023, in a Wild Card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Dallas’ only playoff win between 2018 and their blowout loss to the Packers in the 2023-2024 postseason. They failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, increasing the urgency for a roster shakeup. For Jones, parting ways with a star like Parsons in favor of flexibility and future draft capital is a move that could define this era—for better or worse.
The pressure is officially on. The Cowboys will open their season on the road one week from today against the...
