Once the Dallas Cowboys heard from Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles about their interest in trading for Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ front office moved quickly to address it. NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed new details about the Micah Parsons trade from Dallas to Green Bay, including the language that was included in the deal.
Unbeknownst to everyone except the few who crafted the August blockbuster trade that sent Parsons from Dallas to Green Bay was a “poison pill” condition that, according to sources involved with the deal, prevents the two-time All-Pro from playing for Philadelphia in the immediate future.
The previously unreported condition states that if the Packers decide to trade Parsons to a team in the NFC East — the Eagles tried to trade for him last summer before being rebuffed — then Green Bay would owe Dallas its 2028 first-round draft pick, sources involved in the trade told ESPN.
The front office is not naive to the impact Parsons could have on a game. They watched him wreck shop for their defense for four seasons. Even when facing the Packers this season, the Cowboys could have won the game if not for Parsons chasing Dak Prescott down in the red zone at the end of the game.
If Parsons were dealt within the division, that would mean Dallas would be matched up against their former All-Pro twice a year in the regular season, and then potentially in the playoffs. The language was not just for the Eagles, but for the entire NFC East. Schefter also says that “the poison pill conditions apply to this season and 2026, according to sources, meaning the Packers don’t have a clear path to trade Parsons to another NFC East team until 2027 at the earliest.”
Conversely, the Packers front office made sure to include the same “poison pill” language for defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who cannot be traded from Dallas to any team in the NFC North. Otherwise, the Cowboys would surrender their 2028 first-round pick.
The reason this information came to light after no one discussed it publicly since the Parsons trade went down this summer is that the Cowboys traded for Quinnen Williams and gave up a 2027 first-round draft pick. There was specific language attached to their 2028 first-round pick stating that it cannot be traded due to the poison-pill conditions.
Schefter mentions his sources applauded Dallas for adding this into the deal, preventing Parsons from heading to their biggest rival. Parsons, a Harrisburg, PA native and former Penn State standout, would have had a homecoming with the Eagles, but Dallas made sure that wouldn’t be reality—at least for the next few seasons. A smart move by Jerry Jones and the entire Cowboys front office.
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