Until today, it remained unclear if the Packers would be moving on from Rashan Gary. The former first-rounder will in fact be playing elsewhere next season, though.
Gary is being traded to the Cowboys, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. A Day 3 pick in the 2027 draft will be heading the other way; NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies it will be a fourth-round selection. Dallas was a runner-up in the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, leaving the team to explore other edge rush options. Instead of waiting for free agency to commence, the Cowboys have already swung a deal in that regard.
This agreement will allow for a reunion between Gary and new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Parker was a defensive quality control coach with Green Bay during Gary’s rookie campaign. A prominent role should await Gary, whose contract runs through 2027. This trade will create just under $11MM in cap savings for the Packers while generating a dead money charge of $17MM.
Gary said his Instagram account was hacked when a goodbye message emerged from it Friday, but rather than being released, the seven-year Packer generated (minimal) trade value. Gary comes over after a season as Micah Parsons‘ edge rush tandem partner but will now rejoin Kenny Clark — the player sent to the Cowboys in the blockbuster Parsons swap — in Dallas.
Two years remain on Gary’s four-year, $96MM contract, and this trade comes after the Cowboys were mentioned as interested in free agents Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe. The Cowboys fielded an abysmal defense and could conceivably add one of those options, but Gary is 28 and fills a need — even if he has not lived up to this $24MM-AAV extension. This marks the second time since August the Cowboys have taken on a Packers deal worth at least $22MM per year. Clark has since come up as an extension candidate, as the Cowboys will look to bring down his 2026 cap number.
After trading Parsons, the Cowboys have 2025 edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler unsigned. The team used a second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku last year and then tragically saw 2024 second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland pass away during the season. More work will need to be done at OLB for the Cowboys, and they will have a player who — despite playing as a 4-3 DE over the past two years — did his best work in a 3-4 scheme.
Gary registered 9.5 sacks in 2021 and nine in 2023, garnering a Green Bay payday. He still combined for 15 sacks over the past two seasons but came up as a name to monitor with regards to a release or trade. The Packers used a 2023 first-round pick on Lukas Van Ness but have not seen that move pay off yet. While Van Ness could see more playing time as a result of Gary’s exit, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes the Packers should be expected to target defensive linemen soon after making two trades — the other sending Colby Wooden to the Colts — that cut into the unit’s depth.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Not the needle mover needed.
oh he was a needle mover…. he disappeared the 2nd half of the season
That’s one edge..Go get another! At least we are making moves this year
You won’t be happy with him at his salary. Never gotten double digit sacks. He can’t turn the corner and has no counter to power.
This is a tad ironic, but at least it’s a Day Three pick. If Dallas had swung that trade for Crosby and given up a Parsons pick, it would have seemed like a sideways move in the end.
Apparently the Cowboys weren’t as in on Crosby as has been reported (at least according to Jane Slater), so there may not have been as much willingness to part with the fruits of the Parsons trade, but I think I’d rather see those picks used for foundational players if I’m a Dallas fan. I honestly think that the Cowboys could find a Gary-like talent in the draft, but a Day Three pick is easier to part with than what Vegas wanted for Crosby.
Honestly, Packer fans would have taken a bag of balls for Gary at this point. Enagbare was better. If it’s a 5th. Fantastic.
If cowboys are indeed taking his full contract and the packers got a 4th my question is did the packers use a gun or a knife in this robbery! Gary didn’t do a thing after he arson went down.
Neither, they took advantage of Jerrah’s senility in this highway robbery.
Great move by the Packers. Gary was going to be a cap casualty either way.
Somehow the Cowboys keep getting back to cap neutral only to go right back over the cap.
Since 2019 he is one of six players with 45+ sacks 300+ pressures and a pressure rate of 15%
Miles Garrett
Trey Hendrickson
Micah Parsons
Nick Bosa
Josh Hynes-allen
This is not a robbery. And I dont wanna hear the disappearing act at the end of last year. He is 28 and established. Who knows how banged up he was at the end of the year. The dude is in the lineup regularly and also sets the edge and gets pressure. 4th round pick ain’t bad for what his past production states. Hopefully he can continue it down here in Dallas
You’re wrong. He is bad.
Way to contribute without adding much to the conversation.
He was playing fewer and fewer snaps each week after Parsons was injured. Instead of being the top available pass rusher on the field there were two other pass rushers on the field more often than him.
Interesting move•
Classic under achiever who was way way over paid. Have fun cowboys getting 7 sacks from him
And he was a liability in coverage
His PFF ranking has declined and stayed below his top mark in 2021.
For a guy that is taking up nearly 9% of the entire cap for under 10 sacks that is not a guy worth keeping.
He is an establish middling level DE.
Plus also remember he disappeared after parsons went down for the season