As the 2025 NFL regular season prepares to kick off, new reporting has revealed that multiple teams were closely monitoring the Dallas Cowboys’ negotiations with the Green Bay Packers for All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons — and were prepared to make a move had the deal collapsed.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Don Van Natta Jr., at least three teams expressed interest in acquiring Parsons before the Cowboys finalized a blockbuster trade sending him to Green Bay. The report, published Tuesday, confirmed the Cowboys were unwilling to send the 26-year-old within the NFC East and had fielded preliminary interest from other franchises during the negotiation process.
“Had the deal fallen apart, at least three other teams were interested, and the Cowboys would not have traded Parsons within the division,” Fowler and Van Natta wrote.
The identity of the three teams was not disclosed, though one unnamed organization reportedly passed on pursuing Parsons due to concerns over his perceived volatility. According to the ESPN report, that team believed the asking price was too high for a player who “might turn out to be a headache.”
Another team anticipated that Dallas would not move Parsons until the 2026 offseason and indicated it might revisit the situation at that time. These revelations underscore how widespread league interest remained in the former Defensive Rookie of the Year, despite the growing tension between Parsons and the Cowboys.
Packers land Micah Parsons with $188M extension as Cowboys pass on offers from three other suitors
Parsons had requested a trade earlier this month, citing frustration over stalled contract negotiations and public remarks from Cowboys leadership. His fifth-year option had already been picked up, carrying a $24 million cap hit for the 2025 season, but Parsons was seeking a long-term extension that reflected his elite production over his four-year tenure in Dallas.
The Packers ultimately acquired Parsons last week in exchange for two first-round draft picks and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The deal gave Green Bay a premier defensive cornerstone to bolster their contending roster and allowed Dallas to avoid dealing Parsons to a conference rival.
Green Bay quickly signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract extension, securing the three-time All-Pro through the 2029 season. The move positions the Packers as a more formidable defensive unit as they enter the 2025 campaign with high expectations.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys will begin their season on Thursday night with a high-profile matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The game, scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET on NBC, marks the franchise’s first without Parsons since 2020. Dallas will look to reset its defensive identity following a tumultuous offseason defined by internal conflict and public scrutiny.
The Packers will host the Detroit Lions in their Week 1 opener on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 3:25 p.m. ET on CBS. With Parsons in the lineup, Green Bay is expected to feature one of the most aggressive front sevens in the NFL.
