When the Micah Parsons trade from Dallas to Green Bay was reported, we had a good number of details concerning the new contract Parsons would sign with the Packers. To reiterate, we listed it as a four-year, $188MM deal with $136MM in total guarantees ($120MM guaranteed at signing). Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, $44MM of those guarantees will be in the form of his signing bonus. 
Pelissero continued his breakdown of the deal. Base salaries for the next two years of $1.17MM in 2025 and $2.39MM in 2026 are fully guaranteed, while the base salary of 2027 ($3.11MM) is guaranteed for injury. Option bonuses in 2026 ($38MM) and 2027 ($34.44MM) are fully guaranteed at signing, as well. Any remaining guarantees (approximately $12.89MM) would be partially guaranteed from his 2028 base salary of $40.55MM. In 2029, the final year of the deal, Parsons would have a base salary of $43.55MM and a $1MM 90-man bonus.
Parsons will also receive per game active roster bonuses of $11,764 which could total and additional $200K in each season. Every year from 2027-29 offers $250K Pro Bowl and All-Pro escalators, and 2029 holds additional $250K incentives for making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst expressed how he “really likes” Parsons’ salary cap numbers for the next three years, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, and it makes sense that he drew the line at three. Those cap hits are $9.97MM in 2025, $19.24MM in 2026, and $26.85MM in 2027. Once you jump into Year 4, though, Parsons’ cap hit goes to $64.29MM in 2028 and $68.29MM in 2029.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out that Parsons will be subject to Wisconsin’s state income tax on games played in Green Bay, whereas Texas has no state income tax, so that portion was not withheld for Cowboys home games. Schefter’s crude calculation removing 7.65 percent from Parsons’ annual value may be a bit understated; regardless, it still leaves Parsons with more money after taxes than the deal Dallas had offered to him.
Here are a few more fallout items coming out of the monumental trade from two days ago:
- On the Cowboys’ side of things, this week’s trade freed up $19MM of 2025 cap space. Now with an estimated $42MM in free salary cap space, Dallas is second in the NFL in that regard, behind only the Patriots ($52MM), according to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac.
- The Cowboys may end up using that cap space, too. Pelissero quoted team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones saying, “Nothing says we can’t use some of those picks right now to go get somebody right now.” The team has four first-round picks in the next two years, but if both teams remain playoff contenders, how much value does the draft capital hold? It may make more sense to bring in some immediate contributors by trading the first-rounders and absorbing their extra cap hits with the team’s ample cap space.
- Pelissero also noted, in an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, that this move is out of character for the Packers. He notes that, for decades, Green Bay has been reportedly close to deals for players like wide receiver Randy Moss or tight end Tony Gonzalez, but the deals have always fallen just short as the Packers balk at giving up more compensation than they’re comfortable with. He also notes that they haven’t traded a first-round pick (let alone two first-round picks) since they acquired quarterback Brett Favre in 1992. The reason they’re willing to do so now? We’ve seen recent Super Bowl champions be extremely active in the trade market. The Eagles, Chiefs, and, most notably, the Rams have all made ambitious win-now moves when they felt they were closest to contention. While there’s certainly an art to building a team through the draft and developing a culture and roster, once you get to a certain point, one or two big moves for impact players could be the factor that wins a Super Bowl, and a player like Parsons is definitely of that caliber.
I Hate you Jerruh Jones from Cowboys fans everywhere
As a life long Packer fan, this reminds me of when the team acquired the Mad Stork, Ted Hendricks but this time they extended Parsons immediately.
I am not a Gute fan by any stretch, but I will give him his flowers for this deal. Fleeced Dallas on the trade and even though he overpaid by a little, still got parsons signed for 5 years with 3 years being cap friendly.
Packers have parsons prime years locked up and are ok cap wise until 2028.
You’re not a Gute fan because you don’t understand how good he has been. Period. Plain and simple.
Its not just Gute, but Policy being aggressive as well …
lol……whatever helps you sleep at night.
Like this move for green bay a lot. That being said you’ll still be able to complain next year after we tush push yall to hell and back next nfc championship game.
Loving this trade for my Boys…Parsons undersize and will wear down at his position next few years…and he is a “ME” person…GL with ur 47 mill per and ur Podcast in Nowhere GB!!!
To get what they got this close to the season is a steal!’n
I guess if you need to tell you that to sleep at night, kudos.
But in reality, Jerry is an old man that will need to be removed from control before the Cowboys win anything again.
30 years of nothing and some Cowboys fans are still drinking the cool aid.
You’re a fool because the Cowboys could’ve had him at $35 mil a year last year if Jerruh didn’t drag his feet in every contract extension. Enjoy your late first picks.
Even if Clark has a great year, the young pass rushers need to grow up … fast.
If Dak got 60 million, he probably asked for 65 or 70. The Cowboys should’ve walked away.
Micah got 47 million so he probably asked for at least 50. I think two 1sts and a decent player is all you get when the player has demanded a trade and is asking for 50 million per year. How many teams could or even would pay that?
Seeing a more thorough breakdown of the contract makes this an even better deal for the Packers to me. Anything can happen in three years in regards to health or production but in terms of long term roster construction the Packers front office has to be operating under the assumption that they will be negotiating a new deal in three years before the cap hits jump astronomically which also would be before Parsons turns 30 years old. An added bonus is that there’s a viable path to avoiding massive cap hits in the same year with both Love and Parsons by extending one or both before their current deals expire. Excellent work.