Micah Parsons trade live coverage: Kenny Clark, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer speak to media – The Athletic – The New York Times

NFL
Micah Parsons
Traded
live
Updated 14m ago
The Dallas Cowboys traded star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Parsons, 26, is entering his fifth season in the NFL after being drafted by Dallas with the No. 12 pick in 2021.
Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million extension with Green Bay that includes $136 million guaranteed.
Follow this live experience for all things from The Athletic surrounding this blockbuster deal.
GO FURTHER
Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Green Bay in blockbuster; star signs record deal
Wisconsin sports fan Alex F. has emailed us to celebrate the Packers' acquisition of Micah Parsons.
💬 Gotta step back and recognize, for the first time since Christian Yelich/Aaron Rodgers/Giannis Antetokounmpo were all in the MVP debate, Wisco sports are on FIRE! Brewers have the best record in the majors, Bucks swung for the fences to land Myles Turner, and now this…must be something in the Leinenkugel's! Go Pack Go!
As you can see in the post from X below, University of Wisconsin alum Russell Wilson was also excited to welcome Parsons to the state.
Remember, you can share your reaction to the trade by emailing us at live@theathletic.com and we'll feature some of your comments here!
Advertisement
With Micah Parsons gone, the Cowboys’ pass rush is going to need bigger contributions from their young pass rushers. That includes rookie second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku, who says his expectations are the same as they were prior to the trade.
“It doesn’t change my expectations at all,” Ezeiruaku said. “I have high expectations for myself and I know my guys have high expectations for me, and we have high expectations for each other. It doesn’t change much of that. It’s a void that we’ll have to fill and we’ll fill that.”
Ezeiruaku said that he learned a lot from Parsons, who took the rookie under his wing immediately.
“He took me in like a brother, in my opinion,” Ezeiruaku said. “That stemmed all the way from draft day. As soon as I got drafted, he was one of the first people to reach out to me. That’s pretty much what that was. He taught me a lot in his moments in his time being here. We will still talk. This is not like a funeral or anything like that, where he’s not around or anything like that.”
Last night, Micah Parson's agent David Mulugheta took to Instagram to celebrate the player's lucrative new contract with the Packers, saying:
Draft night feels like yesterday. I'll never forget watching Micah's dream come full circle – getting picked by the team we both grew up rooting for. Back in that pre-draft process, I probably spent more time with him than any rookie I've ever had. COVID sidelined his last year at Penn State, but instead of it being wasted time, he turned it into preparation. And he's been fulfilling prophecies ever since.
Over the years, I've seen Micah grow into so much more than a football player. I've seen him step into fatherhood with the same fire he brings on the field. I've seen him shoulder criticism, setbacks, and, most recently, a storm of doubt, disrespect, and noise. Through it all, he never wavered. He never made it about himself. He just stood firm in his beliefs and trusted the process.
And today? That same kid from Jefferson Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is now the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. Dream it. Work it. Earn it.
The last few months tested everything – but they also revealed everything: his resilience, his maturity, and his refusal to sacrifice his values. Because greatness isn't measured by what you achieve when it's easy, but by what you refuse to compromise when it's hard.
The stage is set. The work continues. The best is still ahead.
Today, Parsons thanked Mulugheta, calling him the "best agent in the world" in a post on X.
After yesterday's trade, Micah Parsons texted the Cowboys defensive linemen group chat saying that he loved them and "sorry it had to happen like that," Dallas DE Marshawn Kneeland said.
Cowboys rookie DE Donovan Ezeiruaku: "We had a phone call last night. He said, 'I'm still here for you.'"
Brian Schottenheimer: "I wish Micah nothing but the best. I really do look forward to seeing him before the game against Green Bay (on Sept. 28), but maybe not on the field."
Brian Schottenheimer is asked whether team culture is one of the reasons Micah Parsons was traded away and refutes that notion, saying that Micah has been "awesome."
Advertisement
Brian Schottenheimer: “I think we’re all on one-year contracts in this business. At the end of the day, we’re gonna be judged on wins and losses. … If you’re good at what you do and you know how to capture your players and get them pulling in the same direction, which I think we’re gonna do a great job of, we expect to have great success this year.”
Brian Schottenheimer on whether he acknowledges this trade as adversity for his team: "I don't think so. You have two ways to look at it. Again, this was a unanimous decision. I don't see this as adversity. Guys will step up. Guys will do a great job of bringing these new pieces into the locker room."
Brian Schottenheimer said he called 12-14 Cowboys players after the trade yesterday. Dak Prescott and Trevon Diggs were two of those players. He declined to share specifics of those conversations.
Brian Schottenheimer: "When you want to stop the run, it's really important to have the pieces to do that. Quite honestly, if Kenny Clark's not in this deal, it might not happen."
Brian Schottenheimer: "Micah's an incredible player. Nobody disputes that. He's a great player. But this is the ultimate team game. We're not going to win a championship with just one person. It's going to take variations of the 69 guys plus that we have on this roster."
Advertisement
Brian Schottenheimer on losing a star player a week before beginning his first career season as a head coach: "We have lots of really good players. … I'm here to win a Super Bowl. That doesn't change. You work and you get excited about the pieces we've added."
Brian Schottenheimer on Kenny Clark: "He's played in some similar systems, similar to (Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt) Eberflus' system. He's a pro, he'll have no problem getting up to speed. You should expect to see him out there (against the Eagles next Thursday)."
Brian Schottenheimer: "I saw Micah yesterday but I have not (spoken to him since the trade). Micah's part of our family. That doesn't change when you leave the team."
Brian Schottenheimer on the timing of the trade: "When you talk about trades, it takes multiple people to get these things done. We didn't have a timeline. When you make a deal, you make a deal. We were able to make a deal. A positive thing about it is that we're into a regular seven-day cycle with Philadelphia (next Thursday)."
Brian Schottenheimer on whether the Cowboys' depth at edge rusher was a component in the trade: "That was a big part of it. You're always looking at different areas. When you look at the guys we have that can create pass rush … it was part of the decision. But this was not something we just stumbled upon. It was well thought out."
Advertisement
Brian Schottenheimer: "Nothing's changed. My goals haven't changed. Our team goals haven't changed. I hit the players on that today after I talked about the tough couple of days.
"The standard is the standard. With all the new pieces in there, I needed to hit the goal, which is to win a world championship. I also needed to hit that we want to build one of the greatest sports cultures in the world. That's part of the deal when you add new pieces, you have to make sure they understand your vision, your culture, the way we view this game."
Brian Schottenheimer: "What I told the players, it wasn't just about Micah. This has been a tough weekend for a lot of guys. There's players that we had to cut, that I had to sit down and tell them, 'We're going to waive you and here's why.'
"This business is about having hard conversations. I felt very comfortable with the message to the team today."
Brian Schottenheimer: "I've been pretty upfront and honest that I thought (Micah Parsons) would be back (with the Cowboys). At the end of the day, we're happy for Micah, his family. You look at the deal he got, that's awesome. I wish him nothing but the best. He's done an incredible job for the Cowboys for four years.
"You never know how these things are gonna play out. I'm excited about all the additions we've added. Not just Kenny, we've got some pretty good DBs we've added.
"We're about trying to upgrade the roster any chance we get."

source