The Dallas Cowboys made a major move when they parted ways with Micah Parsons. Almost a year later, the decision still appears to be paying off for Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. 

Speaking to reporters after the Cowboys’ practice in Oxnard, California, Jones explained why he remains confident about the decision to trade Micah Parsons.

“The fact that we revamped our defense, that was an instigator towards that attitude,” Jones said. “Let's come in here and change this up, let's get rush from the interior, let's be stronger on the run in the interior with an emphasis on those guys in the middle. So it's not an accident that's what you see out there from the inside.” 

Jones believes the move helped reshape Dallas’ defense, and he is pleased with how the trade has worked out for the team. The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Dallas later used one of those first-round picks to acquire defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets, according to the Dallas Cowboys' August 13 report. 

As a result, Dallas added Clark, Williams and rookie outside linebacker Malachi Lawrence through the moves that followed the Parsons trade.

Parsons’ numbers also underline what Dallas gave up in the trade. He finished his first season with Green Bay with 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles and 27 quarterback hits in 14 games, showing that he remained a major force even after leaving Dallas.

That makes Jones’ confidence in the trade’s outcome even more notable. With the new-look defense starting to take shape, Jones has little reason to look back at the Parsons trade.

For now, the Cowboys owner seems convinced that the changes made after the deal were worth it. 

But while Jones is happy with what Dallas gained from the Micah Parsons trade, the Packers are already facing concerns regarding the outside linebacker's recovery from injuries sustained last season. 

Green Bay Packers could miss playoffs without Parsons 

Green Bay Packers fans have another reason to worry about the team’s 2026 playoff hopes. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has predicted that Green Bay will fall short of the postseason in 2026.

Moton has projected the Packers to finish 9-8, with Micah Parsons’ absence early in the season playing a key role in his prediction.

“The Packers could have a slow start to the season without Micah Parsons, who's recovering from a torn ACL and damage to his meniscus,” Moton wrote on August 12.

The Packers have a difficult stretch between Weeks 5 and 7, when they will face the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

Moton believes that the run could be especially challenging for the Packers if Parsons isn't cleared for a full workload by then.

He also pointed to Green Bay’s cornerback group as a concern, arguing that the defense could rely on Parsons’ pass rush to help deal with opposing passing attacks.

If Parsons’ recovery keeps him limited early in the season, Green Bay could struggle to get off to the start it needs. The analyst believes that such a rocky opening could ultimately keep the Packers out of the playoffs.

Do you think the Packers can make the playoffs without Parsons? Let us know your views in the comments.

Written by

Divyanshi Raj

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit