Stephen A. Smith calls Dallas Cowboys’ trade of Micah Parsons a disaster
The dust has begun to settle from the Dallas Cowboys’ trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, and pundits are voicing their opinions. On ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith called that trade a disaster and said it would mar owner Jerry Jones’ legacy.
“This is a disaster for Jerry Jones,” Smith said. “This is a bad, bad situation, and I think this is something that’s going to taint whatever legacy he hoped to have because this is not a football decision. He can slice it any way he wants to. Micah Parsons is a superstar-caliber player in the National Football League. You traded him for two late first-round picks. That’s late. The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a top-10 pick since 2009. They’re usually in contention.
“... You don’t trade him to a Green Bay Packers team, who, by the way, is the last team to whip your [expletive] in the playoffs. When you win the playoffs, the people who bust your tail were the Green Bay Packers. And so the reason why this is kind of something ... that’s going to taint Jerry Jones is because in the end, we’re all looking at it and we know this is not purely a football decision.”
Parsons was traded for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks. Clark will play in his 10th NFL season this year and has made three Pro Bowls, last earning a nod in 2023.
Smith opined that it came down to friction between Jones and David Mulugheta, Parsons’ agent.
“This was because you thought you had a handshake agreement with a young man that was basically pleading with you, ‘talk to my representation,’ and you ignored him,” Smith said. “And by the way, it’s the same agent you’re going to have to deal with when it comes to [wide receiver] George Pickens if you want to re-sign him.”
The Cowboys held the introductory news conference for Clark on Friday. Jones said Thursday that the decision to trade Parsons had been a unanimous one inside the organization.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:44 PM.
