Sportsnaut
Micah Parsons ultimately got what he wanted, even if it wasn’t from the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, we can’t act like the Cowboys didn’t have plenty of opportunities to make their best player happy.
After all, Parsons tried to get the Cowboys to agree to a long-term contract extension last offseason. More recently, he sat down with the Cowboys in hopes of getting a deal done.
Of course, we now know that the Cowboys opted to trade the two-time All-Pro to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks, plus Kenny Clark. The Packers promptly handed Parsons a four-year, $186 million contract, ending any chatter about playing elsewhere next year when he had been scheduled for free agency.
While we now know that the Packers obviously were the most serious about trading for Parsons, the Carolina Panthers also registered some level of interest. But they never made an offer. The Philadelphia Eagles also showed an interest in Parsons, but Dallas was never going to ship their best defender to an NFC East rival.
However, other NFL executives believe that Parsons may have also had an interest in playing for the Baltimore Ravens and/or Kansas City Chiefs, if the opportunity presented itself.
Could you imagine if a top AFC Super Bowl contender like the Ravens or Chiefs managed to add a top-five defender to an already strong core? It would have instantly made them the new Super Bowl favorites.
Besides, the Chiefs already have Chris Jones, one of the most dominant pass-rushing defensive tackles in the game. It would have been nearly unfair if Patrick Mahomes, Jones, and Parsons were all on the same team, coached by Andy Reid. Yet, with three Super Bowl victories by the Chiefs, we can see the appeal.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are still looking to get over the hump, and Parsons certainly could have greatly strengthened their chances too. While they already have a two-time NFL MVP on offense in Lamar Jackson, the defense could always use more playmakers like Parsons.
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