Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons remained locked in a stalemate for months. As the start of the regular season neared without any progress on a contract extension, the relationship turned acrimonious. Still, it seemed unthinkable that the team would allow Parsons to leave just as he was entering his prime. But Dallas Cowboys fans were stunned to learn that the team chose to trade the All-Pro pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers.
And they weren’t alone. The other player involved in the blockbuster deal was taken aback by the trade as well.
“That's probably the most shocked I've ever been in my life,” Kenny Clark said of being traded to Dallas in the Parsons deal, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Of course I heard the rumors that the Packers were going to trade for Micah [Parsons] and all that stuff. But I never thought it was gonna be me that was gonna be traded. It is what it is.”
Kenny Clark all business ahead of Cowboys/Packers clash
The Packers ended up sending two first-round draft picks and Clark in a trade package that brought Parsons to Green Bay. The team then immediately signed him to a four-year, $188 million extension.
So far, the trade has favored Green Bay. The Packers’ Super Bowl odds soared after the addition of the star defensive end. And the team has started out 2-1.
Dallas on the other hand, has struggled mightily. The Cowboys have the NFL’s 30th-ranked overall defense. They’re coming off a 31-14 stomping by the Chicago Bears. And in the one game they managed to win so far this season, the Russell Wilson-led New York Giants scored 37 points while rolling up over 500 yards against them.
Now, the Cowboys will host the Packers in Week 5. And the matchup will take place in prime time. Parsons will return to Dallas, where he played the first four years of his career.
Meanwhile, Clark will reunite with his former squad. The veteran defensive lineman spent nine seasons with the Packers, debuting as a first-round pick in 2016. But come Sunday night, Clark's focus will be on a Cowboys win.
“When it's gametime, I'm in the game. If those guys want to come up, I ain't seeking it out. It's all love and they know it's all love. After the game or before the game, we can do that, but I ain't seeking out for nothing … I'm gonna play my ass off and do everything I can for us to get a win,” Clark said.
