The Micah Parsons saga, which had been hanging over The Star for months, is now over—and it ended in a way no one had pictured. Instead of locking up a 26-year-old linebacker with three All-Pro nods in just four years, Jerry Jones decided to move on with patching up the Green Bay Packers’ biggest roster hole at defensive end.

Meanwhile, the trade package itself told the story. Dallas walked away with two first-round picks and a proven star in the Pro Bowl (2019, 2021, and 2023) defensive tackle, Kenny Clark. On paper, it’s a kind of fair return, but for fans inside AT&T Stadium, it feels underwhelming. The Packers, on the other hand, not only landed Parsons but also made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. That’s the kind of gamble only a few front offices are willing to take, and Green Bay pulled the trigger.

Still, Jerry Jones played the part of a man in control. At his press conference, he admitted the whispers had been real. Cowboys insider Clarence Hill Jr. shared on X, “Jerry Jones said he was lying when he said he didn’t want to trade Micah Parsons for leverage on the market.” The reveal was classic Jerry—admitting to a bluff while insisting the endgame was all part of the plan. For him, the leverage wasn’t just about Parsons; it was about reshaping the roster on his own terms.

Even so, Jones did crack the door open to one regret. Dallas reporter Joseph Hoyt noted, “Jerry Jones said they didn’t have trade discussions with other teams prior to the draft.” Jerry feels he should’ve gauged the market wider, but still believes two first-rounders and a Pro Bowl lineman were a haul he orchestrated. Was it really a master plan? Or did the Cowboys leave better offers on the table? What do you think?

At the same time, the deeper problem lies in how Jerry managed it all. Parsons, frustrated and vocal about a bad back, demanded out after Jones cut him out of negotiations with agent David Mulugheta. This wasn’t new for Jerry—he’s been dealing directly with players since the days of Troy Aikman’s agent Leigh Steinberg—but in today’s NFL, that strategy feels outdated. And now the biggest question is, who’s the real winner of this trade?

Winners and losers of the Micah Parsons trade

To start with, the biggest winner here is Parsons himself. After months of waiting in Frisco, Texas, and even during camp in Oxnard, California, he reached a breaking point with Jerry Jones and his polarizing contract tactics. Tired of the standoff, he went public with his demand for a trade—and, surprisingly, he got everything he wanted. Not only did he land on a stronger roster, but reports also say he cashed in with a record-setting four-year, $188 million deal, including $136 million guaranteed.

Parsons will now pocket $47 million per year, smashing the market for non-quarterbacks by a wide margin. For context, even T.J. Watt, one of the league’s most feared defenders, averages $41 million annually. At just 26 years old, Parsons has already stacked up 52.5 sacks in 63 games, which means his chances of landing a third blockbuster contract down the line are very real.

Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers look like the other major winners. USA TODAY Sports had already projected them as the 2025 NFC champions, and those Super Bowl odds are about to shorten even further. With Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur’s draft-and-develop philosophy giving them the most stable offseason in the NFC North, adding Parsons only piles on. Remember, this is a defense that tied for eighth in sacks last season with 45.

But on the flip side, Jerry Jones has to be on the losers’ side, at least arguably. Sure, he collected two first-rounders and Pro Bowler Kenny Clark, and yes, the Cowboys now have more cap room to spread around stars like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Still, Jones essentially ran off his best player. Worse, it sends a brutal message inside the locker room and beyond. Fans are already calling for him to step back from GM duties, though history suggests he won’t. And as some critics point out, “If players like Laremy Tunsil and Jamal Adams have fetched two first-rounders in trades in recent years, did Jones really get the maximum return for a player who could wind up as a generational pass rusher?” That question lingers.

Finally, you can’t forget head coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys Nation. Losing your star right before your first season? Brutal. Expectations in Dallas are always sky-high, but maybe, just maybe, Schottenheimer gets a longer leash as the franchise shifts into rebuild mode. As for the fans in AT&T Stadium, they’ve been dragged into the mess too—because when Jerry fumbles, the entire Cowboys faithful ends up paying the price.