Which teams should go all-in for Micah Parsons?
Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of Jerry Jones' actions.
It's long been clear to the entire football world - Jones family aside - that the Dallas Cowboys were playing with fire by taking their sweet time with Micah Parsons' contract. At best, the result would be again paying a far more substantial price than if they had signed him before the edge-rusher market exploded. At worst, they risked ruining the relationship with their best player.
Both scenarios have now come to fruition just a week into training camp, as Parsons revealed in a social media post Friday that he wants to be traded.
These requests don't always lead to moves, but Parsons seems uniquely upset with how the Cowboys have (or haven't) handled business to this point. You can bet that rival general managers are already picking up the phone.
Parsons won't come cheap, as the trade cost could run as high as three first-round picks. An acquiring club would also have to give him a long-term deal worth at least $42 million per year. Still, it's not every day a player like this is made available. Nearly every team in the league should be interested.
Which potential landing spots might make the most sense?
New England Patriots
💰 Cap space: $59.9M
New England has done an impressive job of rebuilding the roster in the first offseason under Mike Vrabel. With a number of impact additions on both sides of the ball bolstering Drake Maye's supporting cast, the Patriots look poised to make a substantial jump. Acquiring Parsons would further accelerate their timeline.
Parsons is the most explosive edge defender in the game today. Adding his elite skill set to round out a pass-rush unit already featuring Milton Williams, Christian Baremore, Keion White, and Harold Landry III would be a defensive coach's dream. Vrabel could do some incredible things with a group like that after consistently getting the most out of a mediocre roster in Tennessee.
New England's cap books will get a little tighter next season, but the club has several contracts it could move to create flexibility at that time. The Pats will also be rolling over plenty of unused space from this year. And if they're truly trending back toward playoff contention, parting with multiple first-rounders becomes a much easier cost to absorb.
Los Angeles Chargers
💰 Cap space: $31.4M
The Chargers took a massive step forward in 2024, returning to the playoff mix in their first year under head coach Jim Harbaugh. A resurgent defense was key to the impressive turnaround, with Jesse Minter's unit finishing tied for seventh in EPA/play allowed, according to Next Gen Stats. That success is even more impressive considering the team's first offseason under the new regime was more of a teardown process than anything else.
Now that the books are back in order, the Chargers have a ton of cap flexibility looking to the future. Not only do they have the seventh-most space of any team in the league right now, but they've also got a projected $84.5 million to play with looking ahead to 2026. L.A. could reset the edge market for Parsons and still have plenty of wiggle room to bolster the roster next spring.
Pairing Parsons' rare talent alongside Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu would immediately give the Chargers the sort of elite pass-rush that opens up even more possibilities for Minter as a play-caller. And with Parsons still only 26 years old, he'd be an excellent fit to maximize the extended window created by this young core.
Denver Broncos
💰 Cap space: $12.6M
After a rocky start to his time in Denver, Sean Payton has quickly steered the Broncos back on the right track. Hitting on the Bo Nix pick was a significant part of last year's run to the playoffs, but just as crucial was the defense emerging as one of the league's most dominant units out of nowhere. Denver finished the year ranked first in EPA/play allowed.
That group has a chance to be even better after adding a trio of impact starters in Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and first-round corner Jahdae Barron. But why stop there? Have we ever known Payton to sit back while other teams make the big moves? For better or worse, his undying aggressiveness is a major reason the Saints ended up in the cap predicament they're still trying to climb out of.
However, Denver's circumstances aren't quite the same as what unfolded in New Orleans. With Nix only entering the second year of his rookie deal, the Broncos can and should be going all out to build the best roster they possibly can. While they may appear short on cap space this year, they've got a projected $46.5 million at their disposal in 2026. Add Parsons to that already-stellar defense, and we could be looking at a legitimate threat in the AFC.
Seattle Seahawks
💰 Cap space: $34.6M
The Seahawks seem to be flying under the radar heading into 2025. On one hand, it makes sense. Trading away Geno Smith only to sign Sam Darnold probably isn't the best way to inspire confidence that they'll improve on last year's average performance. But there's some potential here.
Most notably, Mike Macdonald is in the early stages of building the type of dominant defense he put together in Baltimore - Seattle finished the 2024 season tied for 11th in EPA/play allowed. The Seahawks have several promising young players who should continue to grow into prominent roles under one of the game's premier defensive minds. Putting Parsons on the edge could immediately push this group over the top.
Along with the premium picks, Seattle could offer up a young pass-rusher like Boye Mafe to soften the blow of Parsons' departure in Dallas. It's a bit of an interesting fit, given that Parsons took exception to DeMarcus Lawrence's comments after he left for the Seahawks in the spring, but perhaps they could now bond over their distaste for the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys
💰 Cap space: $31.4M
Dallas is our final team that should be going all-in for Parsons, because what in the world are we doing here?
Negotiating these deals doesn't need to be nearly as complicated as Jones consistently makes it out to be. Do you have a young All-Pro approaching the end of his contract? Great. Have you considered possibly giving him a new one in line with his market value, readily determined by other top deals at his position?
The Cowboys could've signed Parsons for a bargain $35 million per season if they had enough foresight to pursue the deal last year - when Parsons said his camp first reached out to the team. But just like with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, Jones was content to wait it out, costing himself millions upon millions of dollars. Not exactly smart business.
Freezing out a player's agents to get a contract done isn't any wiser. But letting Parsons go, even for a major haul of draft capital, would be just as shortsighted. You can only hope those picks eventually add up to something close to the value of a 26-year-old All-Pro edge rusher. Dallas needs to take the necessary steps to make this right.
A resolution probably won't be easy. Parsons' candid statement Friday would appear to suggest he's done with the Cowboys. It's tough to blame him. Maybe he's intent on forcing his way out. But we all thought the same thing about Myles Garrett and the Browns, didn't we? Money talks.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.
(Salary cap figures via Over The Cap)