It was only a few hours ago that NFL insiders reported that the Cowboys were finally listening to trade talks about elite pass rusher Micah Parsons. Their drawn-out battle over a contract extension has been going on for months with no end in sight, leaving the door open for the Patriots to swoop in and steal the future Hall of Famer.
New England had long been considered one of the most realistic landing spots for Parsons due to their impressive available cap space and the need for a dominant pass rusher on their ever-evolving defense.
But that didn't last long, as the Packers managed to convince owner Jerry Jones that their deal was the best he would be offered, and they are set to add Parsons to their roster for the 2025 season and beyond. The NFC contenders also agreed to a massive four-year extension with him, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
That's not what makes this entire situation regrettable for the Patriots, however. It's seeing what the Packers sent to get the deal done for Parsons that does.
The Patriots might regret not getting more serious about a trade for Micah Parsons
Most conversations about what it would take for a team to get Dallas to agree to a deal included several draft picks, with two first-rounders being the bare minimum, and possibly even some players.
The Patriots could have sacrificed the draft capital to get that done, even if it included more future picks besides the next two years' first-rounders. However, apparently, the Cowboys didn't need as much in return as every analyst thought, as they only received two future first-round selections and defensive tackle Kenny Clark in return —a deal the Patriots could have easily replicated or even trumped.
Full trade, per sources:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2025
🏈Cowboys get DT Kenny Clark and two first-round picks
🏈Packers get Micah Parsons. https://t.co/wf08foG94N pic.twitter.com/Ited61UBvO
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That's a tough pill to swallow for all those Patriots fans who held onto a sliver of hope that the last remaining superstar holding out for an extension via trade would be on his way to New England sooner rather than later.
Now, Mike Vrabel and Co. will go into the 2025 regular season with around $60 million remaining in cap space with no clear plan on how to spend it. At this point, it appears they're hoping to have it roll over into the next offseason instead and hope they can somehow pull off a big move then, rather than now, which makes sense to an extent.
But at the same time, superstars like Parsons don't grow on trees, nor do they become available often, if ever. So this feels like a massive miss, even if those future first-round picks would be valuable to them. We know they won't find any future player with the caliber of talent that Parsons is, so why not ensure you get a player like that on your team now?