The New York Jets avoided a Micah Parsons disaster.
A blockbuster trade rocked the NFL when the Dallas Cowboys shipped off Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
However, NFL Insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed that two of the Jets’ rivals in the AFC East made a play for Parsons.
“About a week before the deal was finalized, word spread that the Cowboys’ stance on dealing their star had shifted. ‘We’re not trading Parsons’ had quickly become ‘OK, what can we get?’ That opened the door. The Colts, Panthers, Bills, and Patriots all made calls and were told the price: two first-round picks, a significant player, and, of course, a record-setting contract,” Russini revealed on Saturday, September 6.
Jets Would Have Been Forced to Play Parsons Twice a Year
Parsons, 26, is one of the best defensive players in the league.
Across his four years in the NFL, the former Penn State product has registered at least 12 sacks in each of those seasons.
The Jets have only played Parsons once since he entered the league, and it was an epic disaster.
On September 17, 2023, the Jets traveled to Dallas to play the Cowboys in Week 2.
Parsons finished that game with two sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, and a pass deflection.
That led to one of the most embarrassing moments of the Nathaniel Hackett era as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. A few days after that Jets-Cowboys game, Hackett spoke with the media and provided a startling comment.
“We underestimated his speed on the quick game,” Hackett said via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “He is spectacular.”
Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett says team knew Cowboys rusher Micah Parsons would be a problem but hoped quick game could help neutralize pass rush.
“We underestimated his speed on the quick game,” Hackett tells us. “He is spectacular.” pic.twitter.com/RnnZqQByzA
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) September 21, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Hackett isn’t on the Jets anymore, and Parsons isn’t in the AFC East.
The green and white were set to face Parsons in the Week 5 matchup against the Cowboys in 2025. That isn’t going to happen with the former Penn State star in Green Bay.
Jets Made the Right Choice Avoiding the Splash
Russini listed a lot of teams that inquired about the availability of Parsons; the Jets weren’t one of them.
Parsons is a rare player: young, dynamic, and plays a premium position. However, the Jets need to hold onto their assets.
Publicly, the Jets have said all the right things about Justin Fields being the guy and potentially their future franchise QB, but no one truly knows.
The Jets are all in for 2025, but they are holding onto their future high picks, including that 2026 first-rounder, just in case things don’t work out with Fields. If the Jets made a massive Parsons splash and Fields proved not to be the guy, they would have no clear avenue to finding their next quarterback of the future.
Trading for Parsons would have won headlines, but it would have been reckless considering their current QB situation.
Insider Shares Information on New Jets Offense
There is a lot of mystery around the Jets heading into their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most of that intrigue is around offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who has never called plays at the NFL level.
“My understanding is that the offense plans to employ a run-heavy, keep-away style leaning on running backs Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis, along with quarterback Justin Fields’ running ability. The Jets hope to get early leads and lean on their strengths. At some point, Fields will have to make plays from the pocket in big third-down spots. If his ability to do that surpasses expectations, the Jets could maybe expand their offense from there. But in the meantime, expect them to run, run, and run some more,” ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano revealed.
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