Defensive lineman Rashan Gary. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Cowboys doing another deal with Packers, agreeing to trade for DE Rashan Gary

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 11:06 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are once again doing business with the Green Bay Packers. They hope it goes better than last time.

On Monday, the Packers agreed to send defensive end Rashan Gary (under contract through the 2027 season) to the Cowboys for a 2027 fourth-round pick (via ESPN's Adam Schefter). The deal should become official when the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Dallas is again attempting to replace DE Micah Parsons, whom it dealt to the Packers before the start of the 2025 season. It reportedly made an offer for DE Maxx Crosby, but the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to send him to the Baltimore Ravens instead. The Cowboys have now settled on Gary, who's not on the same level as Crosby or Parsons but could still be a solid acquisition for "America's Team."

How agreed Rashan Gary trade benefits Cowboys

Gary will reunite with former Packers teammate, defensive tackle Kenny Clark, in Dallas and team up with fellow DTs Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa. The foursome gives the Cowboys one of the better defensive lines in the NFL.

Comp update: Cowboys are sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Packers for Rashan Gary. https://t.co/WcS7CjoQ0J
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026

Per Pro Football Focus, Odighizuwa ranked 11th among interior D-linemen in pressures in 2025 (52), and Williams tied for 12th (51). Clark, meanwhile, tied for 18th at the position (44).

Gary, pick No. 12 of the 2019 NFL Draft, only bolsters the Cowboys pass-rush. The one-time Pro Bowler tied for 20th among edge-rushers in pressures (60) in 2025, via PFF.

The Cowboys need the former Michigan Wolverine to maintain his pace in 2026. Last season, Gary logged 7.5 sacks in his first seven games but didn't have another for the rest of the season.

"I thought he started out really, really strong," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Gary earlier this offseason, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky and Todd Archer. "He obviously had a lot of production early. I think he ended up with sixty-some pressures, 7.5 sacks. That's pretty good production in the National Football League. I did think towards the end of the year he wasn't as productive as he was at the beginning."

The Cowboys clearly don't have another pass-rusher of Parsons' caliber who can create opportunities for Gary. With that in mind, they'll need him to win more one-on-one matchups next season.

That said, this is still a decent trade for the Cowboys. Dallas has now agreed to a deal for a player who should help improve its struggling defense, which surrendered the most points in the league (30.1 points per game) in 2025.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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