It didn't take long for Dallas Cowboys fans' worst fears to come true, as Micah Parsons and the Packers have been a juggernaut in their first two games. It's still early, but Green Bay appears to be the best team in the NFL, largely due to Parsons' arrival.
Parsons donning the Packers' green and gold makes trading him all the more difficult to stomach. However, it turns out that Jerry Jones tried trading him to the AFC. Speaking to Gary Meyers on ESPN New York on Saturday, Jones revealed he reached out to the Jets about a potential Parsons deal involving star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and multiple first-round picks.
SNY's Connor Hughes followed up and found that the Jets were never going to meet the $150 million in guaranteed money that Parsons and the Cowboys verbally agreed to behind closed doors.
Cowboys' trade talks with the Jets fell apart because of Micah Parsons' contract demands
"They (the Jets) were never going to go that high, so the brief talks between them ended. No trade was ever agreed to," Hughes reported. "All else is a moot point."
Hughes didn't confirm or deny that the Jets would have accepted the Cowboys' offer if not for Parsons' contract. However, any talks they had until that point went up in smoke because of the contract.
The Jets reportedly made it clear that they "didn't have the resources" to make a trade work. While they aren't quite rebuilding, they aren't exactly in a position to be offloading premium draft picks. With a young quarterback entering his prime and a roster littered with blue-chip talent, the Packers checked every box of a team that should sell its soul for Parsons.
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The one big problem? Outside of the NFC East, Green Bay might be the one team Cowboys fans least wanted to see Parsons join.
From a Cowboys fan's perspective, the Jets would've been a perfect trade partner. Not only do they reside in the AFC, but they currently own the longest playoff drought in the league at 14 seasons. Whereas the first-round picks acquired from the Packers will more than likely fall in the 24-32 range, odds are the Jets will be drafting inside the top 15 again.
The Packers gave Parsons a four-year, $188 million contract, including a whopping $136 million in guaranteed money. While it's not as much as $150 million guaranteed, Parsons secured an annual salary of $46.5 million, making him the highest-paid edge rusher by $5.5 million.
It's easy to see why the Jets balked at the Cowboys' asking price. But it stings to imagine an alternate reality where Dallas got a worthwhile return for Parsons and shipped him to a semi-irrelevant AFC team instead of the Packers.