Commanders fans faced with depressing reality after stunning Micah Parsons trade

It turns out, locking down your disgruntled star player after a lengthy contract dispute and trade request isn't for every NFC East team.

Less than a week after the Commanders signed wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a three-year, $96 million extension, their arch-rival Dallas Cowboys responded by trading two-time All-Pro Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Very sad. Very sad indeed.

Of course, while Washington and the rest of the NFL world are busy clowning Jerry Jones' ineptitude, it does mean one negative thing for Commanders fans: Parsons isn't coming to D.C. anytime soon.

Commanders fans' hopes for a Micah Parsons-Dan Quinn reunion just ended

There was hope, even if never entirely realistic, that Parsons would become a Commanders player once his rookie contract expired. The 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has spoken highly of Washington's star quarterback Jayden Daniels, and especially of head coach Dan Quinn, who was his defensive coordinator during his first three seasons in Dallas.

Those hopes have now been extinguished after the Packers immediately signed Parsons to a blockbuster four-year extension worth $188 million upon acquiring him. That makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Sadly, Washington had limited assets to make a move for Parsons, after having given up a 2026 second-rounder and fourth-rounder in the trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Even if the Commanders did make a respectable offer for the edge rusher, it was never a likely possibility that Dallas would have sent a player of his caliber across the division.

Even Jones isn't that foolish.

The Commanders' only hope was that Parsons somehow hit free agency next offseason without an extension, in which case he would have been an ideal fit to replace the aging Bobby Wagner and Von Miller. He could eventually still come to Washington after his contract with the Packers expires, but by that point in his career, his best days will likely be behind him.

Regardless, Washington can breathe a sigh of relief knowing Parsons won't be in the NFC East to terrorize the Commanders twice a year anymore. And of course, there's never a bad time to laugh at the expense of the self-proclaimed America's Team, the holders of what is now the longest Championship game drought of any NFC squad.

But the cherry on top would have been Parsons signing with the Commanders in 2026. That won't be happening now.

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