This NFL season is off to a rocky start for the Dallas Cowboys and a surprisingly strong one for the Green Bay Packers. EssentiallySports’ Week 1 power rankings put the Cowboys at 16th and the Packers at 6th. As Jerry Jones’ team lost a tight opener, 24-20, to the Eagles, while the Packers have already punched in two wins, riding high into Week 3. Micah Parsons was supposed to be Dallas’ cornerstone, but thanks to a blockbuster trade, he’s now terrorizing offenses in Green Bay.

Green Bay’s impressive 2-0 start this season is no fluke. The Packers beat the Lions and the Commanders. Detroit had 15 wins last year. Washington had 12, which makes the Packers the fifth team since 1966 to start with two wins over teams that had 12 or more wins the previous season. Under Matt LaFleur, this marks the third time they’ve started 2-0; the last two times, they reached the NFC Championship Game. With momentum on their side and Parsons wreaking havoc, the chesseheads made sure to rub it in Jerry Jones’ face. 

After the Packers’ Thursday night win over Washington, the crowd stuck around for the postgame show. At Lambeau Field, when Parsons appeared on set, cheeseheads chanted, “Thank you, Jerry.” A clear sign of how ecstatic Green Bay is after a dominant start to the 2025 season. The fans took the moment to troll-thank Jerry Jones for handing them a defensive superstar. JJ caught wind of it and acknowledged it with a reaction on 105.3 The Fan, saying, “With the way Green Bay is playing, I’m all for them enjoying and chanting anything they really want. I understand that.” He compared the fan response to the similar reaction when the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker years ago.

The implication? Trades that sting initially can lead to long-term wins, even if the other side gets to celebrate first. Jones isn’t sweating the Packers’ gratitude. He sees it as part of the NFL’s back-and-forth chess game, which he enjoys thoroughly.

The fact that Parsons has logged 68.1% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps against the Commanders and already has 1.5 sacks through two games makes the “thank you” chants painful for Dallas fans. Parsons, a two-time All-Pro, had been a defensive anchor for Dallas for four seasons. The Cowboys did receive three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and two future first-round picks, but Kenny’s impact hasn’t matched Parsons’ dominance yet; instead, it has doubled the pressure on CeeDee Lamb. But even if everyone questions Jerry Jones’ decision, he insists that it was the right move.

Jones defends Parsons’ trade for Dak’s Super Bowl shot

On the same radio segment, Jones shifted focus to the bigger picture of the Parsons trade, declaring, “This was the best way to maximize our chance to get a Super Bowl for Dak.” For Dak? Or is JJ just shifting the spotlight towards Dak Prescott? Whether this emphasis on Dak is a clever strategy to control the narrative or a genuine belief, Jones makes clear that winning a championship with Prescott is presented as the ultimate goal behind the Parsons deal.

But it just doesn’t make sense. Because trading a cornerstone player like Parsons for draft capital and a notable defensive tackle is a gamble. JJ strongly believes he’s a gambler, and honestly, the Netflix doc that dropped last month just proves it. He’s betting on the future and is willing to endure short-term backlash and fan trolling if it means building the right pieces to break through the NFC ceiling. But you know what they say: don’t just be a gambler who loses money on bets. Think bigger. Be the casino and cash in for good.

But for now, JJ’s comments reinforced his long-stated commitment to Prescott, whom he once said he wants to remain the QB for America’s Team till he’s alive. Now, Jones frames the trade as a direct investment in winning a Super Bowl with Prescott leading the Cowboys. And whatever happens: if the Star wins or loses, either way it’s a win-win for JJ. Because if the Packers spring a Super Bowl surprise, then again Parsons’ trade will be discussed and JJ will stay in the spotlight, like always.