With Micah Parsons wanting out, it remains to be seen if the Dallas Cowboys will honor his trade request. For the life of me, I cannot understand why The Joneses have to be the way they are: Parsons is the epitome of a former first-round pick you give an extension to before he even plays out his fifth-year option season. Yet for whatever reason, they have continued to make a mess of it all.
Parsons took to social media on Friday afternoon, citing that he wants to be traded. He did make it a point to say that he wanted to remain a member of the Cowboys, but ownership and the front office are making that so difficult right now. What is the difference? They are one and the same in Big D. Regardless, the team Parsons wants to go to is probably not going to happen for obvious reasons.
That would be the Washington Commanders. With the Super Bowl contenders being in-division, there is no logical reason for the Cowboys to even think about trading Parsons over there. That being said, he may just end up there any way at some point. This is because his former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is now calling the shots in Washington. He will sign there if he hits free agency.
NFL insider Benjamin Allbright let it be known that Parsons would prefer to go to the Commanders.
Fairly well known Parsons wants to reunite with Dan Quinn.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) August 1, 2025
We’ll see https://t.co/gELnelpcdx
If Washington were to end up with Parsons, they would become more than a Super Bowl dark horse.
There is only downside to Dallas trading Micah Parsons to Washington
For so many reasons, Dallas cannot trade Parsons to Washington. I would argue it is the one place in the NFL that should be off limits, even more so than the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles in the division. Trading away a star in-division is a fantastic way to end up with egg on your face, as you will be playing this one particular player twice annually for the foreseeable future. I am against it.
However, I do recognize the power of choice. Parsons is only under contract for this season. That could be for the Cowboys, or for anyone who theoretically trades for him. At this stage of the game, it is probably in his best interest to not sign anything until next offseason. That way, he can have the most leverage we have seen out of a defensive player in any NFL free agency since Ndamukong Suh.
Patience is a virtue, and that is what will be needed for Parsons to potentially reunite with Quinn in Washington. It could happen in less than a year from now, but we still have a full season of football ahead of us. If Dallas were to deal him to Washington, the Cowboys will be a complete joke for as long as Jerry Jones owns the team. Again, I am afraid that we have crossed the Al Davis Rubicon with him.
The last little thing I want to bring up is that not taking care of Parsons will rub every player in the Cowboys' locker room the wrong way. He is not only the team's best player, but he is one of the guys. Dallas has a nasty habit of overpaying its good players with great money. They often make exceptions for unexceptional people. You do that enough and you end up being a loser. Parsons is the exception.
Washington would be incredible with Parsons part of the team, but Dallas better not hand him over.