Heading into the final month before the 2025 NFL season kicks off, the Patriots are in an enviable position, as a relatively young team with some positive momentum, a potential star quarterback and a well-liked new coach. Oh, and even after a massive spending spree that saw them commit to more than $300 million of spending, they still have, according to Over the Cap, nearly $60 million in cap space.
It’s unclear whether the team decided to protect that cap space as a potential cushion into which it could absorb a disgruntled star player, or whether that’s just a lucky coincidence. But it’s there, and with as many as three elite players seeking new deals and trades from their current teams, the Patriots are still in position to make a major summer splash.
With due respect to Trey Hendrickson (who is 30) and Terry McLaurin (who will be 30 in September), no player seeking a trade is a bigger deal than Cowboys star Micah Parsons, arguably the best end in the league and still only 26 years old.
Micah Parsons Seeking Dallas Divorce
Even casual NFL observers probably know by now that Parsons has been unable to secure a new contract from the Cowboys and that, beyond a standard numbers dispute, he has turned on onetime friend and owner Jerry Jones (and his son, Stephen Jones) because of the Cowboys’ refusal to negotiate a contract through his agent, David Mulugheta, one of the most respected agents in the NFL.
“I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” Parsons wrote in what was a lengthy post on social media. “My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.”
Patriots Favored to Land Parsons
Now, this is of special interest to the Patriots because no one is in position to make a move on Parsons quite like New England.
Most pertinent: At BetMGM, the Patriots are listed as the favorites to make a trade for Parsons, with their 10-to-1 odds tied with the Eagles (though it seems nearly impossible that Jones would deal Parsons to Dallas’s in-division rival).
DraftKings feature the same odds, with the Patriots first and the Eagles also tied.
The offshore site Bovada has the Patriots farther down the list, at No. 6 overall, with the Raiders leading the odds.
Patriots Would Pay a Big Price
Parsons would have some say in where he is traded, because the Cowboys would have to send him to a team with whom he would agree to sign an extension. But the Patriots make sense, as a fast-rising team in the AFC that really needs a top-shelf pass-rusher.
Parsons would be just that.
He would not come cheap. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that the price on Parsons would likely be along the lines of what the Bears gave up to add Khalil Mack in 2018–two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder, with a second-round pick and a seventh-rounder coming back along with Mack.
On top of that, the Patriots would be on the hook to give him a contract that tops the $41 million per year TJ Watt just got from the Steelers, likely in the range of five years and $210 million (though Parsons might prefer a shorter deal).
Given Parsons’ age and talent level, it’s a package the Patriots could and should give up, if they get the chance.
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