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.
But will the moves be enough to get the Cowboys to the SB?
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.
No argument on that point.
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.
Uh you’re dreaming- Gary was exposed in the 2nd half of the season and will continue to be exposed in 2026. There is a reason- why the Packers were letting him hit the streets- if Gary was all that like you said in your comments- the Packers wouldn’t have traded Gary.
He’s not a savior but should be a reliable starter for us..The packers have cap issues from paying micah that’s why they can’t keep nobody bud.
How can someone be so consistently wrong? The packers cap is fine. Not much room this year but over 100m next.
You are right that Gary is an adequate starter. But he is not even close to worth his contract.
He will be getting an extension at a lower rate pretty soon. We can link back up on the discussion thread when it happens. AND I agree about the salary too much for him. You got to remember WE have no edges. Ezey is the only one and he’s going into his 2nd year. So this trade is a big win for us. Sam Williams, Dante Fowler and Clowney are free-agents. So we desperately need bodies and Im in the opinion that Gary is a sold OLb. He will fit our new system.
I am skeptical. But perhaps it will help you with an extension. Packers fans are thrilled with the return. We would have cut him in June.
You’re drinking Jerry Poppins- old fashioned 30 year old kool-aid
Solid move for us, even if it doesn’t work out this is probably about the 115th pick we’re losing out on
“How can someone be so consistently wrong?” ~ Bearmeat, 2026
You obviously have never read any of your own posts. Not only are you usually wrong, you also appear to be different intellectual zip code from those that have rational thoughts.
Is that what happened to Gray performance in the 2nd half of the season?
I hope you’re right.
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
Sounds like he was quite overpaid.
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
Maybe that says more about GB coaches and scheme post Parsons injury than it does about the player.
Packers defense just got a little better with his salary and lack of production off the books.
So…if this is their edge guy, how does it affect their draft strategy? Do they still go after a d-lineman or shore up somewhere else on the defense? Or maybe even bolstering their O-line???
This is the trade you make when you have to substitute M&Ms for a poison pill.
Change of scenery can help. He’ll be playing alongside Kenny again and Quinnen Williams
Dallas needs to trade back honestly. They need to recoup some day 2 picks
At 12 id trade down with Chiefs
Chiefs get 12 take Monroe Freeling after taking Tate at 9.
Cowboys get 29, 40, and 109
I’d then offer 29 to CHI for 57 and 60 (2 2nd round picks)
Dallas walks away with
1st round 20
2nd round 40, 57, and 60
4th round 109.
I’d trade back from 57 or 60 to get a 3rd and another 4th
Dallas needs draft picks
Interesting. I think I’d rather have quality (especially on defense) over quantity at this point. They are only rebuilding on one side of the ball, although I wouldn’t say no to an upgrade in their o-line, which was ranked in the middle of the pack.
Cowboys trying to get Parsons back in a trade?