When a player like Micah Parsons requests a trade, it would be a dereliction of duty for any general manager not to do their due diligence. Micah Parsons has requested a trade, so Ryan Poles, I hope you got your tire-kicking shoes on.
The Cowboys have really botched their relationship with Parsons, who without question is one of the most impactful defensive players in the league. He's also in the final year of his deal, and after seeing the kind of money that Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt got, it's hard to blame him for wanting to secure his future.
The smart money still says that Dallas will give in to Parsons and reward him with some kind of record deal just before the season starts, because that's been their M.O. under Jerry Jones for a while. It's what they did last year with Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb last year, after all. Until the Penn State product signs on the dotted line though, there's always a chance that he could end up elsewhere.
Parsons would fit well on any team, but he'd fit especially well on the Bears. Poles signed Dayo Odeyingbo away from the Colts in free agency with the hope that he's primed for a breakout year, and he bolstered the interior line by landing Grady Jarrett. Other than that, he mostly focused on giving Ben Johnson the kind of offense he can work magic with.
Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat should at least be solid when it comes to rushing the quarterback, but they're nowhere near Parsons' league. Bears fans aren't too acquainted with new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's work just yet, but needless to say, he'd unleash Parsons on every opposing offense the Bears face.
What would the Bears have to give up to get Micah Parsons?
Ironically, the Khalil Mack trade (executed by former GM Ryan Pace in 2018) is the best comp to make. Mack was a standout pass rusher too, and that deal shocked the league by going through less than a week before the first regular season game. It also resulted in the Bears giving Mack a six-year, $141million extension, which made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. The same will have to happen if they get Parsons, only now the numbers will be even higher.
The Bears gave up two first round picks, a third rounder and a sixth rounder, and in return, they got Mack, a second and a conditional fifth. One key difference between the Raiders then and the Cowboys now is that the Cowboys are hoping to be contenders. The Raiders had no such illusions in 2018, which is why they were happy to get nothing but (admittedly hefty) draft compensation back.
If the Bears are going to pull this off, they'll hope to lessen the draft capital blow by sending Dallas quality players who are nonetheless becoming more expendable by the day at Halas Hall. I'm speaking of Braxton Jones, who is in danger of being supplanted by rookie Ozzy Trapilo as the starting left tackle, and Tyrique Stevenson, who's currently locked in a battle with Terell Smith for the No. 2 corner job.
Jones could be Dallas' Week 1 starter at left tackle since incumbent Tyler Guyton is slated to miss more than a month a bone fracture in his knee. Stevenson could also find immediate playing time in a Cowboys secondary that already looks like a MASH unit.
It will still take much more than that, but Jones and Stevenson will help defray the cost. Add a 2026 first and second, and now we're talking.
If the Cowboys say yes to Micah Parsons trade, should the Bears do this deal?
Here's where it gets tough. Losing Jones and Stevenson wouldn't be the end of the world, but at the very least they'd be important depth pieces even if they lose their starting jobs. The draft picks are extremely valuable however, especially given that the Bears have what's projected to be the most difficult schedule in the league and play in a division that set the record for combined winning percentage last year. Optimism is running high in Ben Johnson's first season, but the Bears aren't guaranteed anything right now.
There's also the matter of paying Parsons, which could wreak serious havoc on the Bears' cap situation. To that end, they might even consider adding Sweat to the deal. The Cowboys would get back a quality pass-rusher to take Parsons' place, and the Bears come closer to making the numbers work after writing Parsons a blank check. In return, maybe Poles could lop off that second-round pick and just make the deal Sweat, Jones, Stevenson and a first.
If Parsons really is serious about wanting out of Dallas, then this is a return the Cowboys could live with. It's a steep price to pay for the Bears, but one that could still be justified for a player with Defensive Player of the Year upside.
As I said above, the smart money is still on Parsons staying put and getting his money. Bears fans shouldn't be checking their phone every few minutes for news, unless of course they're looking for the latest Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III highlights from camp.