About that Micah Parsons Trade…
The last few days have been eventful in the NFL world. Washington’s star receiver, Terry McLaurin, requested a trade after not getting a market-value contract extension. Just a day later, Cowboys standout defender Micah Parsons joined McLaurin in the trade-request club.
About that Micah Parsons Trade…
“I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” Parsons wrote in a social media post. “My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.”
Parsons watched teammates CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott sign huge deals with the franchise, but he has not received a new deal. Christian Darrisaw, who was drafted about an hour after Parsons in 2021, signed his new contract last offseason. Classmate Ja’Marr Chase reset the receiver market this year.
But Parsons? The four-time Pro Bowler has yet to see the big-time money of a second contract. A trade will be expensive, but there will undoubtedly be suitors for one of the league’s top players. Should the Vikings be one of them?
The Intriguing Points
Let’s first check why the Vikings and every team will at least consider calling Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Parsons just turned 26 years old, and he should have at least a handful of excellent years left in the tank.
Entering the draft out of Penn State, Parsons was viewed as the premier linebacker prospect with some versatility as a pass-rusher. The Cowboys quickly realized that the man is virtually unblockable and edge defenders are more valuable than linebackers.
In his four campaigns, Parsons has already collected a Rookie of the Year award, two first-team All-Pro teams (one second-team), four Pro Bowls, as well as 256 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and nine forced fumbles.
That kind of talent will work in any environment. But now consider who is calling the shots in the Twin Cities. Brian Flores and his versatile scheme, which is built to confuse quarterbacks by having Joshua Metellus and Andrew Van Ginkel play all over the field, would be a perfect match for a player who’s unstoppable as a rusher but has the ability to line up at linebacker and blitz from there. Oh, and he can drop into coverage, too.
Think of the All-Pro version of Ivan Pace or an even more disruptive Van Ginkel.
The Problems
On the other side of the coin, there are some problems. First of all, landing the superstar in a trade is unlikely for the Vikings and here’s why.
The franchise has committed enormous money over the next few years, so much that they are about $60 million OVER the cap in 2026. They can get out of that deficit by restructuring some deals, but that will just use the money from future budgets.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his front office can figure that out, but adding another highly-paid player would nuke that plan. Of course, Parsons would want his next team to give him the deal the Cowboys haven’t. The top edge defenders, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett, make $41 million and $40 million annually, more than Justin Jefferson’s $35 million he signed in 2024. Parsons probably views something in that range as reasonable.
Furthermore, the Vikings would have to give up some draft capital. Khalil Mack once cost a pair of first-rounders and some change, and he was a comparable force at a comparable stage of his career. The Vikings’ roster is not a young one by any means, and some infusion of youth is needed. Parting with those picks would be a major risk. It paid off for the Los Angeles Rams in the past, but that’s not guaranteed.
Another concern is that the Vikings would acquire a luxury player they don’t really need with Jonathan Greenard and Van Ginkel wreaking havoc up front and Dallas Turner slowly turning into a decent defender in his own right. Adding Parsons to that group or even instead of one of them might bring some extra juice, but it would be, well, a luxury.
Bottom Line
It’s fun to think about what Flores would do with Parsons in his arsenal, but it’s not a realistic move considering the future cap situation and the trade costs. If the Vikings make a splashy move like that, acquiring a standout cornerback seems like a more sensible move.
Many of those situations get resolved by a contract extension anyway.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.