NFC Power Rankings after Cowboys send Micah Parsons to Green Bay

The Dallas Cowboys did the thing on Thursday afternoon, trading four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. He will sign a four-year, $188 million contract with $136 million guaranteed, making Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news:

Parsons delivered a heartfelt goodbye to Cowboys fans on social media. He says he never wanted to leave Dallas, but that the Cowboys refused to incorperate his agent in negotiations. Bemoaning a lack of "fairness" from Jerry Jones and the front office, Parsons committed his ongoing loyalty to North Texas and described his Cowboys tenure as "the honor of [his] life."

This is a stunning shakeup in the NFC. While Parsons' trade demands went public weeks ago, most assumed that the gap would eventually be bridged and that Dallas would extend its defensive centerpiece. Instead, Jones played hardball, made it strangely personal, and squandered his relationship with the NFL's best defensive player.

Oh well... Anyhow, let's wade into the waters of NFC Power Rankings and separate the contenders from the pretenders after this foundation-shaking trade.

16. New Orleans Saints

Even if you're not completely out on the Spencer Rattler experience — and hey, he's a talented dude! — it's hard to feel good about the Saints this season. New Orleans' offense is an empty husk compared to teams elsewhere in the NFC. The Saints are essentially taking a year to reboot, potentially draft Arch Manning No. 1 overall, and then get serious again. The talent deficiency is just too steep.

15. San Francisco 49ers

Last season was abysmal for the Niners, but this season somehow feels worse already. Brock Purdy remains the league's most overpaid quarterback. He's not untalented, but he simply does not elevate teammates beyond the scheme like others in his tax bracket. Morever, seemingly every wide receiver on the roster is hurt to begin the season. San Francisco has bled salaries of late, stripping back the talent on defense and offense. The Niners' front office will save some money this season, but after a six-win campaign in 2024, it's hard to envision a resurgence in the standings right now.

14. Carolina Panthers

We saw glimpses of life from the Panthers last season. Is it real? Time will tell. Bryce Young is beginning to look like a competent starting quarterback, if not quite a worthy No. 1 pick. The Tet McMillan pick should perk up the offense. Carolina made sweeping additions on both sides this summer. Dave Canales clearly knows what he's doing, even if he's fighting an uphill battle in that organization. Carolina is a team that needs to prove it, but they could absolutely outperform this ranking.

13. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are cooked. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are appealing headliners for what should be an explosive offense, but Dallas is no longer a dominant force in the trenches — on either side. Parsons' departure leaves a gaping hole in the defense and Prescott will face more pressure than ever behind a patchwork, largely inexperienced O-line. God bless, Cowboys fans. Nobody deserves this. Not even them.

12. Atlanta Falcons

I dunno man. Maybe it all comes together, but we've been saying this about the Falcons for years. I'm not sure Raheem Morris has what it takes in the coaching chair. Michael Penix is still a bit of a wild card and the idea of reverting back to Kirk Cousins in an emergency won't soothe anxious fans in Atlanta. The offense has tons of talent and the defense should be better, but there's a significant burden of proof on the Falcons right now.

11. Seattle Seahawks

After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2024, Seattle completely reimagined its offense. Mike Macdonald can clearly coach a defense, but the Seahawks were only middle of the road in that department a season ago. Meanwhile, it's a bit unnerving to imagine Sam Darnold outside the perfect roster bubble Minnesota created for him. Last season was a revelation for the former top-3 pick, but this roster isn't really tailored to his big-play style and he has years of underperformance coloring his track record. Seattle feels like a strong candidate to disappoint.

10. New York Giants

I am cautiously buying stock in the Giants. That is probably a fool's errand, but that front office and coaching staff clearly feels the pressure to deliver a winner. New York made several big additions on defense, none more consequential than No. 3 pick Adbul Carter. He's a game-wrecking talent and an immediate frontrunner for DROY.

It's less clear what we can expect from the Giants offense. Nobody has an ounce of faith in Russell Wilson at this stage, but Jaxson Dart lit the preseason on fire with an incredibly display of arm talent and, more importantly, poise. He's processing the game more sharply than he did at Ole Miss, from the looks of it. If New York's defense thrives and Brian Daboll has the sense to promote Dart before the season goes under, the Giants might just stick around the Wild Card race.

9. Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay is a voodoo artist, so we can never count out the Rams entirely. But Los Angeles was quite porous defensively last season and the offense isn't shaping up to be overly explosive. Replacing Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams might read as an upgrade at first glance, but Kupp's connection with Matthew Stafford was borderline telepathic. L.A. can still dial up Puka Nacua whenever the moment demands it, but there's a good chance the Rams' offense begins to decline. Stafford is, after all, another year older.

Los Angeles has been reaching this crux of age and development for a while. The Rams just don't have that next wave of young stars like other up-and-coming teams around the NFC. McVay might be able to scheme his way back to the Wild Card round, but if the Rams can't contain the pass defensively, they can ill afford to lose even a half-step on offense.

8. Arizona Cardinals

So the Arizona Cardinals are, like, pretty good? An eight-win season in 2024 set expectations rather low, but Kyler Murray (when healthy) remains an extremely talented individual. He's capable of huge outputs, with a blend of mobility and IQ that offsets those age-old concerns over height. Meanwhile, we know Jonathan Gannon is capable of building an elite defense when he has the right personnel.

Arizona has deliberately built up the defensive line and the secondary. On offense, we can anticipate a breakthrough sophomore campaign from Marvin Harrison Jr., who flashed his immense potential in especially intriguing ways down the stretch of last season. If health prevails and the Cards can build on a bit of upward momentum, there's a decent chance Arizona could sneak into pole position in the NFC West.

7. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are blessed with arguably the best coach working in the NFL today. Kevin O'Connell is a bonafide QB whisperer, and he has the personnel necessary to build another extremely productive group around J.J. McCarthy. But, Minnesota is also dealing with injuries on the wide receiver front, and McCarthy is an unknown commodity. He was the least experienced of the first-round quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Michigan won the national title, sure, but that was a run-based offense led by Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman.

Minnesota should give McCarthy the opportunity to dial it up a bit and throw more freely, but whether he can actually deliver in what is effectively his rookie season remains to be seen. The Vikings won 14 games last season, but fell apart down the stretch. McCarthy outperforming Sam Darnold (at least in his first regular season) feels improbable. So perhaps we should fade Minnesota ever so slightly.

6. Chicago Bears

Betting on the Chicago Bears has historically ended in disappointment, but...... this is a good roster. The dark cloud of Matt Eberflus has been lifted and in his place stands Ben Johnson, one of the brightest offensive playcallers in the NFL. Now he gets a crack at unlocking Caleb Williams, who prior to last season, was viewed as a potentially generational talent at the quarterback position.

The Bears offense should take a sizable leap forward this season. Meanwhile, Chicago's front office has made a determined effort to beef up the defense at all levels. The Bears have a chance to finish with a top-10 offense and defense. There is an unproven quality to all teams with a first-time head coach, but Johnson feels like the guy to take things to the next level in the Windy City.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are, at long last, clear frontrunners in a lopsided NFC South. Liam Coen's departures adds a slight layer of mystery, but there's no reason to think this offense won't rocket to the top of the NFL (again). Baker Mayfield has separated himself as one of the league's most productive and chronically underrated quarterbacks. He has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin back at his side.

How Tampa's defense shakes out after a disappointing end to 2024 will be a major storyline, but the Bucs are healthier and the front office made important progress on the personnel front. In a conference with a ton of uncertainty, the Bucs feel like one of the safest bets to chug along near the top of the standings.

4. Detroit Lions

After laying an egg in the postseason, Detroit has a long of questions to answer. Last season was a resounding success on the whole, but two new coordinators, plus a ton of lingering injuries, casts doubt on both sides. Jared Goff put up MVP numbers in 2024, but can he replicate that success in a new scheme? Only time will tell...

Aidan Hutchinson's return to full strength should help stabilize the defense, but the Lions are in a tough spot this season — at least relative to expectations. Everyone views Detroit as a clear frontrunner in the NFC, and that's fair enough, but relying on rookies on the defensive front is always a risk. Detroit will be leaning heavily on newer members of its defense, while the offense may struggle to reach the same lofty heights it did when Ben Johnson was pulling the strings.

3. Washington Commanders

With Terry McLaurin finally locked up, the Commanders are right back in the thick of things in the NFC. Jayden Daniels put together one of the best offensive campaigns for a rookie in NFL history. It will be a tall task to follow it up, and there will always be health concerns with a skinny quarterback who likes to improvise outside the pocket. But Daniels gets the ball out quickly when he needs to and his skill set puts him in the preseason MVP conversation.

Washington's defense is a point of concern looking toward the postseason, especially after Philly exposed them in the NFC Championship Game. But it's hard to nitpick the team that crushed 15-win Detroit and put the entire league on notice with a rookie quarterback who's just beginning to wrangle his immense powers. There's a world in which Daniels explodes in year two and the Commanders are not only winning the division, but representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.

2. Green Bay Packers

Say what you will about Jordan Love, but he's one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks in the NFL. He will put up huge numbers all season, with an improved pass-catching corps at his disposal and a dependable run game to lean on as needed. Where the Packers most needed to improve was defense, as the front office had been a bit stingy after the Love contract extension. That narrative just went up in flames.

It's hard to overstate the impact Parsons can have on a defense. He has only missed four games in four NFL seasons, with four Pro Bowls and two first team All-Pro noms. Parsons elevates a competent defense and makes it a potentially elite unit. Green Bay has added solid pieces around the margins, but Parsons is the game-wrecker who can take the Packers out of the second round and toward the promised land. He knows Green Bay's potential first hand, as Dallas met its end by the Packers a couple years ago.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

There's not much to add here. The Eagles have earned all benefit of the doubt. It's fair to wonder if the defense can hold up with a greater reliance on youth, and yes, it's unlikely that Saquon Barkley's can replicate last season's success. But Philadelphia dominated virtually the entire NFC and then curb-stomped Kansas City in the Super Bowl. Who else can we reasonably put in the No. 1 slot?

Even if the run game takes a step back, Philly has A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Jalen Hurts has proven extremely adaptable over the years, capable of dialing up a more robust passing output when the moment demands it (see: Super Bowl LIX). Philly has an answer for everything, with the league's best defense on paper and the best GM in American sports calling the shots.