After weeks of speculation, the Dallas Cowboys traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons. But the real shock isn’t that Parsons was dealt — it’s who he was traded to: the Green Bay Packers.
The deal sent Parsons to Chicago’s biggest rival in exchange for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Green Bay wasted no time locking him up, giving Parsons a four-year, $188 million extension. At $47 million per year, he now becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it — the Packers just got better. Their pass rush now becomes a nightmare for Chicago, with Parsons lining up against the Bears twice every season. The Packers are the first team in NFL history to commit over $100 million annually to just two players — Jordan Love and Parsons. That leaves them with no first-round picks until 2028 and major cap concerns down the road. But for now, their window is wide open.
For the Bears, the timing couldn’t be worse. Last season, 18 players recorded nine or more sacks, and Chicago is scheduled to face half of them this year, including Trey Hendrickson (17.5), Kyle Van Noy (12.5), Jonathan Greenard (12), Parsons (12), T.J. Watt (11.5), Dante Fowler (10.5), Odafe Oweh (10), Nick Bosa (9), and Dexter Lawrence (9).
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The kicker? They’ll face Greenard and Parsons twice.
What makes it sting even more is how similar this feels to the Bears own blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack back in 2018. Except this time, Green Bay may have paid less to land Parsons than Chicago did for Mack. And with the Bears pass rush still not where it needs to be, the deal feels like salt in the wound.
If Parsons had gone to an AFC team, this wouldn’t be nearly as painful. But instead, he’s landed right in Chicago’s backyard.
