Packers-Cowboys Trade Included a Hidden Block on Micah Parsons Landing with the Eagles
Green Bay,WI – When the Green Bay Packers dramatically acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas cowboys this past August,it was hailed as a blockbuster move that reshaped the NFC landscape. However, a previously undisclosed “poison pill” condition within the trade agreement reveals a strategic intent far beyond simply acquiring talent: preventing Parsons from ever suiting up for the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to sources involved in the deal, the Packers cannot trade Parsons to an NFC East team – specifically the Eagles - without incurring a notable penalty: forfeiting their 2028 first-round draft pick to the Cowboys. This condition, first reported by ESPN, sheds light on the intense rivalry between Dallas and Philadelphia, and the Cowboys’ determination to keep Parsons away from their division foe.
The Eagles reportedly attempted to acquire Parsons before the trade to Green Bay was finalized, but were rebuffed. The inclusion of this clause demonstrates the Cowboys were proactively blocking a potential move, ensuring Parsons wouldn’t end up playing near his hometown – a destination he had previously expressed interest in.
“This was clearly designed to prevent Parsons from landing in Philadelphia,” a league source told ESPN. “They wanted to make it incredibly arduous, if not impossible, for that to happen in the near future.”
The condition isn’t exclusive to Parsons. The same “poison pill” applies to Kenny Clark, the other player involved in the trade. Should the Cowboys attempt to trade Clark to a team within the NFC North, they would also be required to send their 2028 first-round pick to Green Bay.
This isn’t the first time the Packers have employed such a tactic. In 2008, when trading Brett Favre to the New York Jets, Green Bay included a provision that would require the Jets to forfeit three first-round picks if they traded Favre to an NFC North rival, namely the Minnesota vikings.
The existence of these conditions initially went unnoticed by many, onyl becoming apparent when teams scrutinized the NFL’s database of draft picks. The recent trade of Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets for Quinnen williams further highlighted the unusual stipulations attached to Dallas’s 2028 first-round pick.
For now, Parsons is set to face the Eagles on Monday night as a member of the Green Bay Packers. but the hidden clause in the trade agreement means his future with any NFC East team remains uncertain, at least until 2027.
