Packers very nearly traded away one of top playmakers in Micah Parsons blockbuster 1 Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley hugs defensive end Micah Parsons (1) as defensive end Rashan Gary (52) looks on before their game against the Detroit Lions Sunday, September 7, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Packers very nearly traded away one of top playmakers in Micah Parsons blockbuster

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 2:31 PM ET

The Packers’ blockbuster trade to acquire Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys sent ripples across the NFL, not just because Green Bay added an All-Pro pass rusher but because the price seemed much more affordable than most expected it to be.

After all, the Packers did not trade any of their top edge rushers, parting with veteran nose tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft choices, to acquire Parsons, who in his Green Bay debut proved worth the price by logging a sack and generating three pressures on Jared Goff, which forced a third-down incompletion and an interception.

Packers nearly traded Rashan Gary for Micah Parsons

Parsons figures to play a starring role in the Packers’ run at a Super Bowl championship this season, and beyond, but according to one NFL insider, the price was almost significantly steeper for Green Bay.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys nearly asked for Rashan Gary as part of the deal.

Prior to Parsons’ arrival, Gary was the centerpiece of the Packers’ pass rush, and a player that Green Bay is optimistic about this season and moving forward.

Gary posted a gangbusters debut against the Lions, benefitting from Parsons’ presence off the edge, with 1.5 sacks and seven total tackles.

The duo of Parsons and Gary may prove to be one of the more disruptive in the league and a key cog in the Packers’ championship aspirations, but it reportedly very nearly didn’t even come to fruition.

Packers' Defensive Line Has Long Way to Go in 2025 2 Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) celebrates sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with defensive end Rashan Gary (52) and linebacker Quay Walker (7) during their football game Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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