Jerry Jones pushes back, defends 'sensitivity' of Micah Parsons ultimatum ahead of Packers trade

Jerry Jones opened up on the moments that led to the trade of Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys set to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The Cowboys owner was asked on Football Night in America about a conversation that he had with Parsons amid negotiations this offseason.

Maria Taylor asked about a reported phone call between the two in which Jones told Parsons to either get to practice and suit up for Week 1 against the Eagles or be ready to go to Green Bay. The owner confirmed that the phone call happened but said it wasn’t what it was made out to be.

“The words are accurate, but the sensitivity and the feelings are not,” Jones said. “I think a lot of Micah. I admire him. He’s a great player and he’s got a great family with him. But he got caught up in the numbers. I wanted the numbers of players that a player like Micah Parsons can get for us in the future. And I thought we can play some good football even though we didn’t have him in the short term.

“I like the numbers and I’m fully aware, because we had him four years. As I said earlier, that didn’t get us to the Super Bowl. That really didn’t get us further than we can go. We’ve got to try something different.”

Parsons was traded to the Packers ahead of this season in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks, one in 2026 and another in 2027. Jones seems to be insinuating that the value that the Cowboys will get from those selections is more than Parsons alone would have provided.

It’s certainly possible, but the linebacker had been a force through his first four seasons with 52.5 sacks and Pro Bowl appearances every year. Jerry Jones, however, remained steadfast in his opinion that the Micah Parsons trade had to happen.

“One player for five or six players,’ he said. “You say, ‘Well, you’ve got to go get those players.’ We were able to bring one of them with us when we made the trade. Micah is outstanding and rare, but I believe our best chance for a Super Bowl is with Dak Prescott and the make up of our supporting cast. I believe our best chance is in the numbers. I’ve always been right, I’ve had the best chance of being right, in the numbers.”

That all sounds good and well, but Dallas is off to just a 1-2 start this season. They’ll have to avoid a loss against Parsons and the Packers if they hope to get on the track toward the postseason.

Even so, Jones still believes a championship is a reachable goal this early in the season. He compared the Parsons trade to when the Cowboys dealt Herschel Walker, a move largely credited with beginning their dynasty in the 1990s.

“This year is very possible for us to have the kind of success that our fans want to have,” he said. “But I know in the future, we will go ahead and make some decisions that we wouldn’t have made had we not made the trade. When we made the Herschel Walker trade, it caused us to do things we would have never done.”