LaVar Arrington's Take on the Trade
LaVar Arrington, a Penn State legend recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, has weighed in on the Micah Parsons trade. Arrington, who spent his entire six-year NFL career in the NFC East — five years with the Washington Commanders and his final year with the New York Giants — was asked by The California Post who "won" the trade that sent Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers.
Arrington began to mouth the word "Cowboys" and mentioned "addition by subtraction" in terms of the return for Parsons, which included Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks. He said, "That's a compromising question, because I have such a love for Micah. Micah was having a great season, but if you're saying addition by subtraction you've probably got to say..." Arrington didn't officially say the word "Cowboys" but did begin to mouth it before laughing and walking away.
The Context Behind the Trade
Parsons' trade to Green Bay on August 28 came after a contentious preseason period. He had appeared in street clothes at a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons and lay on a table with his eyes closed, citing back stiffness. The incident drew criticism, but Parsons later clarified he was only on the table briefly in the second half. He said, "The way media shapes perception and narratives is wild–and if he hadn't said anything, everyone would've just run with it. I'd never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives."
At the time, Parsons was in a contract standoff with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer refused to comment on the table incident "without talking to Micah."
The Brother's Reaction
Parsons' brother, Terrance Parsons Jr., has been vocal about the trade. After The Athletic's Jon Machota posted a picture of Parsons lying on the table from that preseason game, captioning it "One year anniversary," Terrance reposted it with the caption "Best thing Micah ever did to get the f**k outta there." He also expressed disappointment on social media with posts like "Generational player mismanagement." Despite the acrimony, it has been reported that Micah Parsons always wanted to be a Cowboy.
The Aftermath
Parsons signed a 4-year, $186 million extension with the Packers. In a game against the Washington Commanders, fans chanted "Thank you, Jerry" after Parsons recorded 0.5 sacks and 3 QB hits. The trade return for Parsons included Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks, a package that Arrington's comments suggest favored Dallas.