The NFL world was sent into a frenzy on Friday when Micah Parsons, arguably the most valuable non-quarterback in the NFL right now, demanded a trade away from the Dallas Cowboys. There's no certainty regarding whether a trade will actually occur - it'd be malpractice for the Cowboys to do anything but meet whatever his contractual demands are - but if a trade is at all possible, the Buffalo Bills must be the most aggressive team in pursuit of the star edge rusher with the goal of defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs once and for all in mind.
The Bills have consistently been one of the best teams in the AFC throughout Josh Allen's seven-year tenure in Buffalo, but they've consistently run into the Chiefs in January and have fallen short every single time. They're now winless in four trips against the Chiefs in the playoffs in the Josh Allen era, and all four of those losses have come in the last five years.
What makes those losses more infuriating is that Allen, for the most part, has been as advertised in those games, if not better. The defense has allowed the Chiefs offense to score 27 points or more in each of the four games, and Kansas City even managed to drop 42 points against Buffalo's defense in a recent playoff game. Adding a premier edge rusher, no matter the cost, could be what finally gets the Bills over the top.
Just to add the cherry on top, the Bills have sacked Mahomes a total of five times in those four games. Parsons has had at least 12 sacks in each of his four NFL seasons, and sacked Mahomes twice (while also forcing a fumble) in the only appearance he's faced the Chiefs in his career.
Bills must be willing to pay outlandish price to acquire Micah Parsons
Let me be clear - if Parsons is traded, it'd come at an absurd cost. I mean, the only somewhat comparable trade that comes to mind is the deal that sent Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in 2018. The Bears sent two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick in exchange for Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick. This was the price for Mack, a player I'd say wasn't quite as good at the time as Parsons is now, and a player who was a year older. Parsons will go for as much, if not more, trade-wise, and that's just the start of it.
In addition to a very hefty package, Parsons will demand an extension that, in all likelihood, will make him the richest non-quarterback in NFL history. Rarely do teams want to part with premium draft assets while also shelling out a ton of money in an extension, but if Parsons is traded, that's what's going to happen.
It'd come at an absurd cost, but if the Bills want to give themselves their best shot of winning it all while Mahomes is still at the peak of his powers, they're going to have to be willing to meet, if not exceed the asking price to ensure Parsons ends up in Buffalo. As expensive as it'd be, there's every reason to believe it'd be worthwhile.
Micah Parsons would give the Bills the dominant edge rusher they need
Any team can use a player like this, but the Bills really can use a player like Parsons. The Bills took a gamble on the injury-prone Joey Bosa to be one of their key defensive lineman. Their other starting edge rusher is Gregory Rousseau, a rock-solid player coming off his best season, but nowhere near the difference-maker Parsons is. The Bills added some solid depth to their defensive line over the offseson, but they lack the superstar player like Parsons to wreak havoc defensively.
Adding Parsons, a 26-year-old who quite possibly hasn't even hit his prime yet, would give the Bills a chance to not only win it all in 2025, but for several years to come.
Anytime a player of his caliber becomes available, teams should do whatever they can to get a deal done, but for a Bills team that could use some help on their defensive line and has come up short time and time again in January, a Parsons trade, if at all possible, is a must.