Nearly a year removed from the high-profile deal that shifted him from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers, star pass rusher Micah Parsons remains linked to his former club in unexpected ways.
Parsons contacted one of Dallas’ recent acquisitions this offseason to offer encouragement about life with the Cowboys.
That player is defensive lineman Rashan Gary, who spent the previous season as Parsons’ teammate in Green Bay before moving to Dallas.
Speaking with reporters Friday during training camp, Gary recounted how Parsons assured him he would appreciate his new surroundings.
“So far, his words have been right,” Gary said of Parsons.
The two shared a locker room for one campaign before the Packers sent Gary to the Cowboys in a March transaction.
Gary rejoined longtime Green Bay defensive line partner Kenny Clark in Dallas as part of the move. He agreed to a reworked two-year contract worth $32 million with the Cowboys shortly afterward and has settled in well since arriving.
Parsons, meanwhile, is projected to open the 2026 season on injured reserve. He tore his ACL and meniscus last December during a contest against the Denver Broncos. Even while rehabilitating this spring, the former Cowboy found time to welcome Gary to the organization where Parsons once starred.
Cowboys fans continue to process the trade that sent Parsons away, particularly given his public desire at the time to remain in Dallas. Yet Parsons has shown he still values the period he spent with the team.
Gary’s production history with the Packers underscores the value he brings. Across seven seasons he appeared in 106 games with 74 starts, recording 271 tackles including 154 solo stops, 46.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Observers caution against measuring Gary directly against Parsons’ elite pass-rush output.
Still, the veteran should serve as an important contributor for Dallas under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
If Gary can approach the Pro Bowl form he displayed in 2024, the Cowboys’ front will gain a substantial boost. His early impressions of the organization have been positive, matching the outlook Parsons shared.
A strong campaign that returns Dallas to the postseason could extend that goodwill into the following year.
