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The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone “all in” to build a winner for the 2025 NFL season. Pittsburgh made a number of aggressive moves this offseason, including signing veteran Aaron Rodgers to a one-year contract. The Steelers also traded for CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith from the Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Now Pittsburgh has a star-studded roster that is ready to make a run later this fall.
With the news that Micah Parsons has requested a trade, could he be next on Pittsburgh's shopping list?
Naturally, Steelers fans have begun to wonder whether Parsons could be the next addition for the team. After all, it would make for one heck of a story.
Parsons has made positive statements about the Steelers in the past. In fact, earlier this offseason, Parsons explained that he would be excited to join his hometown team.
“Yeah, I do (rock with the Steelers),” Parsons said back in February, via CBS Sports. “I said if I ever return home, it was going with Pittsburgh. I mess with Mike Tomlin the long way.”
Parsons grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, tucked between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It would make sense for him to call either city home. But perhaps Pittsburgh makes more sense after years of battling against the Eagles in the NFC East.
But maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves here.
Could the Steelers actually trade for Parsons in the first place? And if so, what kind of trade package would the Cowboys need to make a move?
Below we will explore the perfect trade offer that Pittsburgh should make to Dallas to acquire Micah Parsons.
What could the Steelers offer for Micah Parsons?
Do the Steelers have enough ammo to make a good trade proposal for Micah Parsons?
Let's go over the terms of this potential offer before doing any analysis.
Steelers receive:
- EDGE Micah Parsons
- 2027 fourth-round pick (conditional)
Cowboys receive:
- EDGE Alex Highsmith
- TE Darnell Washington
- 2026 second-round pick
- 2026 third-round pick
- 2027 first-round pick
I have the Steelers offering a large trade package to pry Parsons away from the Cowboys.
Pittsburgh has a whopping 12 draft picks in 2026, when calculating in likely compensatory picks. They certainly have the ammo needed to make another big move this year before the start of the season.
I also have the Steelers offering a replacement in edge rusher Alex Highsmith, plus a backup tight end in Darnell Washington.
But the question becomes: is that really enough to land Parsons?
I could also see a reality where the Cowboys demand a trade package similar to what Las Vegas got for Khalil Mack back in 2018. That included two first-round picks and additional draft capital, even factoring in that Chicago needed to extend Mack after the deal.
If that's the true asking price, if Dallas would consider trading Parsons, then I'm not sure Pittsburgh would be willing to pay it.
How would the addition of Micah Parsons change Pittsburgh's defense?
Simply put, the theoretical addition of Micah Parsons would be transformational for Pittsburgh's defense.
The Steelers already have an incredible edge rusher in T.J. Watt. He has proven that, by himself, he can give opposing offenses nightmares figuring out how to block him.
Adding Parsons could have a cascading effect.
Every opponent would have to make a difficult choice when playing against the Steelers. Which elite edge rusher do you leave in a one-on-one blocking scenario? And if the answer is “neither” how do you add extra help on both sides without causing additional problems?
Pittsburgh's upgraded secondary makes this even more fascinating to think about.
The Steelers now have a stout secondary with Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback. If they can keep receivers from getting open, that's just more time for Parsons and Watt to get after the quarterback.
Adding Parsons is not without risks. He would need a hefty long-term contract, likely in the ballpark of Watt's recent $123 million megacontract.
The Steelers could be limited by having two huge contracts on defense. Especially with the need to find a new quarterback next offseason after Rodgers probably retires.
Even so, the possibility of having two elite edge rushers for the next three or more seasons is incredibly tempting.
In reality, I don't think the Cowboys will be willing to trade Parsons at all. And if they were, I'm not convinced that Pittsburgh has the stomach to make it happen.
But if this trade did become reality, it would be the biggest move in the NFL in recent memory.
