The Dead-Money Fallout of Micah Parson Trade

The Green Bay Packers acquired one of the NFL’s truly elite players when they acquired Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. In return, Green Bay gave up two first-round draft picks and Kenny Clark.

Clark signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension about 13 months ago. As part of it, he received a $17.5 million signing bonus. This offseason, he pocketed a $7.5 million roster bonus.

Clark’s cap numbers were scheduled to be $20.365 million for 2025, $31.365 million for 2026 and $27.142 million for 2027.

With Parsons getting a record-setting contract as part of the trade, the Packers had to get rid of a big contract to make it work. With Clark’s 30th birthday coming up and with him coming off a down season, the Packers probably were happy to part with Clark, even if it leaves a big hole – and creates a big question – in the middle of their defense.

The fallout is the dead money that will remain on the salary cap.

Even with Clark competing for the Cowboys, he will count $18.065 million on the Packers’ 2025 salary cap and $17.007 million on the 2026 cap.

The dead money lingering on this year’s cap is a staggering $54.155 million, according to OverTheCap.com. Along with Clark’s $18.065 million, Jaire Alexander counts $17.043 million, Preston Smith counts $9.881 million and De’Vondre Campbell counts $7.971 million. Guarantees given to Mecole Hardman and Isaiah Simmons in free agency, quarterback Sean Clifford, and undrafted free agents Tyler Cooper, Jamon Johnson and Jonathan Baldwin add about $845,000 to the tally.

This year, the league-wide salary cap is $279.2 million. Dead money consumes almost 20 percent of Green Bay’s cap.

“I do think you’re always going to have a little bit of dead cap money if you’re doing things properly,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at this year’s Scouting Combine. “You don’t want it but, at the same time, if you’re trying to maximize your ability to win each and every year, you’re going to probably have a little bit of that.”

According to Spotrac, the Packers have the 10th-most dead-cap dollars this year. Their $54 million this year is chump change compared to the 49ers ($97.2 million), Saints ($91.0 million) and Eagles ($80.2 million). The Bears have a league-low $5.4 million in dead cap.

The Saints already have $86.0 million in dead cap for 2026. Clark’s contract is the only dead money for Green Bay.

Clark was Green Bay’s first-round pick in 2016. The three-time Pro Bowler ranks fourth in franchise history among defensive linemen in games played with 140.

“We want to thank Kenny for the incredible impact he made in the locker room, on the field and in the community during his nine seasons in Green Bay,” Gutekunst said in the team’s announcement of the trade.

“From the time he arrived in 2016, Kenny established himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the league and in the history of this franchise with his production, durability and leadership. He had the respect of everyone in the organization and epitomized what it meant to be a Green Bay Packer. Kenny will be greatly missed, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”

Counting Clark’s dead money and using Parsons’ fifth-year option contract of $24.007 million as a placeholder, the Packers have only $1.45 million of cap space, according to OTC. The first-year charge of Parsons’ new contract, once that becomes official, will be significantly less than the option figure and give the Packers the necessary breathing room.