Report: Cowboys put ‘poison pill’ in Micah Parsons trade to keep him from Eagles

Not long before the start of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with defensive end Micah Parsons after he spent the first four seasons of his career with the team. Dallas traded him to the Green Bay Packers — who then signed Parsons to a mammoth four-year contract — in exchange for a pair of first-round draft choices in 2026 and 2027 as well as defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

However, an additional component of the blockbuster deal between the Cowboys and Packers has come to light. Dallas allegedly included a “poison pill” condition in the trade in the sense that if Green Bay goes on to deal Parsons to another team in the NFC East, it will owe the squad an additional first-round pick in 2028.

“Unbeknownst to everyone except the few who crafted the August blockbuster trade that sent Parsons from Dallas to Green Bay was a ‘poison pill’ condition that, according to sources involved with the deal, prevents the two-time All-Pro from playing for Philadelphia in the immediate future,” Adam Schefter wrote.

“The previously unreported condition states that if the Packers decide to trade Parsons to a team in the NFC East — the [Philadelphia] Eagles tried to trade for him in the summer before being rebuffed — then Green Bay would owe Dallas its 2028 first-round draft pick, sources involved in the trade told ESPN.

“The poison pill condition also was used on Kenny Clark, the other player involved in the trade, according to sources. If the Cowboys trade Clark to a team in the NFC North, they would owe the Packers their 2028 first-round pick.

“League sources said these poison pill conditions clearly were put into place to block Parsons from winding up in Philadelphia, not far from where he grew up and one day wanted to play. The poison pill conditions apply to this season and 2026, according to sources, meaning the Packers don’t have a clear path to trade Parsons to another NFC East team until 2027 at the earliest.”

The reasoning behind the poison pill condition is clear when realizing that if the Packers traded Parsons to an NFC East team, that would mean the Cowboys would have to face off against him more often than they would like. Every NFL team has to play the other three teams in its division twice per season.

So far in his maiden season with the Packers, Parsons has been a defensive anchor for a team that sits atop the NFC North division with a record of 5-2-1. He ranks second on the squad in total sacks at 6.5 and is in a tie for the most tackles for loss of any one Packer with seven.

While the Packers are thriving with Parsons, the Cowboys look like they’re trending toward another underwhelming season. They may very well miss out on the playoffs for the second season in a row, as they have a record of just 3-5-1 and have been awful away from home, as they have lost all but one of their five road contests.

The early returns on Dallas’ decision to trade Parsons haven’t been all that promising, but the poison pill condition should at least help to ensure that he won’t be suiting up for another NFC East team anytime soon. The Cowboys are hoping that they won’t have to face off against whichever team Parsons is on for a long time.