The Dallas Cowboys hope Micah Parsons will be on the field when the team opens its 2025 season against the Eagles. If not, teams like the Baltimore Ravens are probably paying very close attention to how it plays out.
Parsons wants a new deal and has been holding in for all of camp. And if the two sides can’t find common ground, Dallas could trade the superstar pass rusher. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks the Ravens could be a potential landing spot.
Fowler said on an Aug. 22 episode of “SportsCenter” that Dallas still believes it can sign the All-Pro. However, he said there’s “not so much optimism” on Parsons’ side, and might prefer a new home via trade.
“I was told the Cowboys have received multiple trade inquiries on Micah Parsons. … If they were to entertain a trade, there would be interest,” Fowler said during his ‘SportsCenter” segment. “Teams that make sense to me on the radar would be the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens (would be) in play. Even some teams in Dallas’ own division.”
What Parsons Trade Would Cost
As for what it would cost to acquire a player like Parsons, even amid the contract squabble, it will be steep. Like, historically steep.
“It would take some sort of Herculean, Herschel Walker-sized offer for them to even entertain it,” Fowler said.
Yahoo’s Charles Robinson recently polled various league executives about what it might cost to pry Parsons out of Dallas.
“If he is ultimately traded, the basement price on him will start at the what the Raiders landed for (Khalil) Mack, then likely require a sweetener on top of it,” Robinson wrote for Yahoo Sports on Aug. 14. “Ultimately, the Raiders received two first-round draft picks, along with a third and sixth — in exchange for their superstar defender plus a second- and seventh-round pick.”
An unnamed general manager wondered whether a motivated team — and the Ravens certainly should fit that mold — would give up even more to put their squad over the top.
“I think Dallas could get three firsts if it was coming from someone who is expecting their firsts to be at the bottom of the round. That’s still a lot for a defensive player. Or it could be two firsts and a quality starter, like when the Panthers packaged DJ Moore to get the first pick in the draft.”
Parsons Also Needs Record-Breaking Contract
Of course, parting with significant draft capital plus an impact starter is only half the battle. If you’re a team like the Ravens, and you’re making that sort of investment to land Parsons, you’re going to pay him, too. Parsons, who has recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons, is going to get more money than Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt, who signed a three-year, $123 million extension in July.
“The most likely contract is a four-year deal for $172 million, with a record average salary of $43 million per season,” Bill Barnwell wrote for ESPN.com. “With Parsons’ $24 million salary for 2025 already guaranteed, that would come out to five years and $196 million, for an average of just over $39 million per year.”
It’s a massive commitment in more ways than one. But for a team like the Ravens that has been knocking on the door for years, it might be a once-in-a-decade sort of blockbuster that finally makes the difference.
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