The Dallas Cowboys have a good problem on their hands. The Cowboys have three franchise cornerstones in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons and all three could be part of the solution when trying to get Dallas back to its first Super Bowl since the 1990s.
Unfortunately, the salary cap has made keeping elite players difficult. While the Cowboys have already signed Prescott and Lamb to top-dollar contracts, Parsons is the next in line. Although signing Parsons feels like a no-brainer, the ability to build a complete roster could make things complicated and lead to a shocking blockbuster this offseason.
The Cowboys have had some internal discussions about whether to pay or trade Micah Parsons, per @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/liRoZuQXZm
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 9, 2025
NFL Insider Reports Cowboys Discussing Trading Micah Parsons
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Cowboys have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading Parsons this offseason. The report states that the long-term future with Parsons is up in the air and he could be part of a surprising trade market this spring that already includes Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett.
“Normally open with his opinions, [Parsons] hasn’t said much of anything about the team’s promotion of Brian Schottenheimer after a surprise parting of ways with head coach Mike McCarthy,” The report states. “While there have been no trade talks, sources say there have at least been some internal discussions about whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king’s ransom. If the Cowboys are willing to listen, they may get it.”
Trading Parsons would be one of the most shocking moves in Cowboys history. The 25-year-old is on a Hall of Fame trajectory in his first four seasons in the league, racking up two All-Pro selections, four Pro Bowl selections and 52.5 sacks since Dallas took him with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
But while Dallas fans have been blindsided with trades in recent weeks, dealing Parsons has some rationale. The Cowboys are $2.8 million over the salary cap heading into the offseason and while they can work around that by lowering Parsons' $24 million cap hit for 2025 in a new deal, the return Parsons could command on the market could jumpstart a reboot.
The Cowboys have been in this situation before. Herschel Walker was trending toward his late-20s when he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Dallas acquired a boatload of picks in the trade including Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, Russell Maryland and Kevin Smith and went on to win three Super Bowls in the 1990s.
However, those Cowboys were in the middle of a rebuild under Jimmy Johnson. These Cowboys won 12 games in each of Parsons’ first three seasons before slumping to 7-10 last season. The hiring of Schottenheimer is questionable but doesn’t feel like an obstacle in the way of a contract.
While the possibility has been raised, it’s unlikely a trade will happen. But you can never say never when it comes to the offseason and a Parsons trade could be a step back to take a leap forward.