NFL Insider Expects Packers To Be ‘Really Interested’ in Micah Parsons

As Rapoport noted, the Packers have a “bunch of really good players.” They signed quarterback Jordan Love to a contract extension last year and signed right tackle Zach Tom to a contact extension this year. Really, there aren’t any other players who they absolutely, positively must re-sign over the next 12 months.

The Packers, according to OverTheCap.com, have about $31.2 million of cap space, though they’ll have to set aside money for a practice squad and in-season roster moves.

Parsons is under contract for 2025 under the fifth-year option of $24 million.

“Russ Ball would immediately tear up his existing contract, extend a new deal of at least $40 million per year, and the resulting 2025 cap number would be significantly less than the $24 million on his current contract,” Ken Ingalls, an independent Packers salary-cap authority, told Packers On SI.

The financial picture isn’t quite as rosy for 2026, with Green Bay having about $2 million of cap space before dealing with its own free agents. Only 10 teams are in worse shape, with the Cowboys and the rest of the NFC North among them. Ingalls has the Packers at $2 million over the cap.

“Layering in a Parsons mega-contract only further complicates the calculus and decision-making process,” Ingalls wrote.

Whether it’s Dallas, Green Bay or some other city, Parsons’ contract will be ginormous. T.J. Watt’s recent contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers is worth $41.0 million per season. While Watt’s 31st birthday is approaching, Parsons turned only 26 in May.

Sending Rashan Gary to the Cowboys as part of the trade would help. As it stands, Gary has cap charges of about $25.8 million for 2025, $28.0 million for 2026 and $31.0 million for 2027. A trade, according to Spotrac, would cut those numbers to about $16.5 million in 2025 and $18.7 million in 2026.

“They have money to spend and they are really good,” Rapoport said. “So, that’s the kind of team that I would say, if Micah was going to be traded, that he’d be going to because ‘We need one final piece.’ This guy’s an absolute dog. He’s worth all the money so pay him all the money. … But it’d be worth it because you’d get Micah Parsons.”

However, it’s worth noting that general manager Brian Gutekunst has said several times during his tenure that he never views a team as being one final piece away.

“I never believe you’re one player away,” Gutekunst said in 2020. “I don’t believe in that. You can make mistakes believing you’re one player away from anything.”

Perhaps Parsons would be viewed as an exception to the rule because he is a dominant player at the height of his powers.

The 12th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. In four seasons, he’s been selected to four Pro Bowls. He was first-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2022 and second-team All-Pro in 2023. There were no All-Pro accolades in 2024, when he had 12 sacks in 13 games.

He has 12-plus sacks in all four seasons – Reggie White is the only other player in NFL history to start his career with four consecutive 12-sack seasons – with career totals of 52.5 sacks, 63 tackles for losses, 112 quarterback hits and nine forced fumbles.

The Packers allegedly offered the Cowboys two first-round picks, a second-round pick and a “talented” defensive player in exchange for Parsons. Who knows if that’s true, but Gutekunst almost certainly has inquired, either to make an official offer or to feel out what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is thinking. It would be general managerial malpractice to not at least go fishing for a generational talent.

One high-ranking league source believed a first-round pick, a third-round pick and Gary would be fair compensation.