OTL: Micah Parsons Trade Shocks NFL World

Today’s piece will mainly focus on some huge news that just shook the NFL landscape and what it means for the Ravens.

Let’s not bury the lede.

The #Cowboys are trading All-Pro Micah Parsons to the #Packers & they agreed to a 4-year, $188M deal done by @DavidMulugheta and @AndreOdom of @AthletesFirst including $136M gtd, per me, @TomPelissero & @SlaterNFL.
 
At $47M per year, Parsons is the highest-paid non-QB… pic.twitter.com/kBjqMTcHJ3

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2025

Micah Parsons being traded is a shocking turn of events. I truly never thought they would be stupid enough to do it, but Jerry Jones is beyond reason at this point, and now Parsons is a Packer.

So what does this mean for the Ravens? Well, like most great players on the trade block, the Ravens were apparently connected to Parsons, but probably backed out of the deal once the asking price got too high for them:

Full terms:
— Cowboys get Kenny Clark and 2 1sts.
— Packers get Micah Parsons. https://t.co/7ATclEMp5J

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2025

Now, in the grand scheme of the NFL, this isn’t that much. Clark is a big name, but he hasn’t been good in almost two years and is entering his thirties. The two first-round picks are definitely the driving force here, but those picks will be in the low 20s at the highest and closer to second-round value more likely, as the Packers were a playoff team before acquiring such a difference-maker.

The Ravens wouldn’t have been able to offer a controllable piece like Clark. The closest player is Nnamdi Madubuike, but there was no way they would trade him when he is younger and probably projects to be better than Clark going forward. Then there is the biggest holdup, which is undoubtedly the first-round picks. The Ravens have never given up a first-round pick in their history, which is why it was funny seeing fans campaigning hard for Parsons. Fan how you want, but Parsons was never coming to Baltimore, between the pick compensation and the new contract he signed. The whole reason why Micah was on the trade block to begin with was because Jerry didn’t want to pay him what he felt he was worth. Parsons is now the highest-paid non-quarterback player in the NFL, and the Ravens simply don’t have the cap space to give Parsons what he wants.

This quote from yesterday from EDC was actually really eye-opening:

DeCosta said negotiations with other Ravens are ongoing.

“I like to work in the dark.”

DeCosta acknowledges the Ravens just can’t keep everybody and priorities have to be made.

“We understand that at some point, we’re going to see some good players leave.”

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) August 27, 2025

The last quote was the moment I really had to sit back and think about what that meant. Does that mean only letting go of Daniel Faalele and Mark Andrews because those are good players in the Ravens’ eyes? Or does that mean “omg we have to choose between Isaiah Likely, Travis Jones, and Tyler Linderbaum, plus we have to let Andrews and Faalele go.”

That is a nightmare scenario that EDC literally admitted this situation keeps him up at night. Then we have to figure out how to fit Micah Parsons into this situation? Micah was never going to be a Raven; we simply didn’t have the horses to get it done, wouldn’t give up the picks, and didn’t have the money to pay Parsons.

Let’s focus instead on what we DID get done this week – locking up Kyle Hamilton – and the upcoming season.

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