Heading into the 2025 NFL season opener on September 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys will be doing so without star linebacker Micah Parsons. The star defender was traded to the Green Bay Packers on Friday after contract negotiations with Dallas fell through.
The trade sending Parsons to Green Bay for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks ushers in a major change for Dallas’ defense, but one person who wasn't surprised by it at all was Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
“I can't say I was completely surprised, but I definitely didn't think he was going to get traded, I'll say that,” Prescott said in a media session on Sunday. “But just with that, their negotiations went down, obviously to some extent… it seemed like it got personal on their ends, so that's why I wasn't surprised.”
Prescott, who has experienced his own extended contract negotiations with Dallas before becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player in 2024, drew parallels between his situation and Parsons’. Prescott confirmed that he and Parsons exchanged messages after the trade, with a simple parting of good wishes.
Parsons, 26, was set to enter the 2025 season on his fifth-year option but requested a move after Dallas failed to reach a long-term deal. The Packers reportedly signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract with $136 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones defended the move, saying it was in the team’s best interest, both for the present and future. He explained that while he could have retained Parsons in April, the terms of the deal were ultimately not acceptable to the linebacker’s camp.
The trade leaves Dallas relying on Prescott to lead an offense already built around top-tier talent. Since 2021, with Prescott under center, the Cowboys have gone 12-5 in three consecutive regular seasons, ranking fourth in EPA per play and scoring the most points in the NFL during that span.
Even in 2019, the Cowboys’ offense ranked third in EPA per play, though defensive shortcomings limited overall success. With CeeDee Lamb and emerging receiver George Pickens forming a dynamic duo, the offense is positioned to carry the team even as the defense adjusts without Parsons.
The team faces a challenging season opener in Philadelphia, but Prescott remains focused.
“We added a great player, got some picks for the future,” he said. “I’m not going to say we’re better, we’ve got to go out there and prove it. We’d have to prove it even if [Parsons] was on this team.”
The Cowboys start the 2025 season with a top-10 quarterback, a star-studded receiving corps, and a defense bolstered by new additions, all aiming to stay a strong contender in the NFC.
