Micah Parsons’ NFL journey began with sky-high expectations when the Dallas Cowboys selected him 12th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He quickly became a cornerstone of their defense, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and establishing himself as one of the game’s premier defenders.
Heading into the 2025 season, Dallas and Parsons could not agree on a long-term contract, and the Cowboys traded him to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster deal that sent two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to Dallas.
Green Bay signed him to a four-year, $188 million extension with $136 million guaranteed, making him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in league history. In his first season in green and gold, Parsons continued to terrorize offensive lines, posting 12.5 sacks while anchoring a Packers team that contended for the NFC North title.
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Now, less than a year after leaving Dallas, Parsons appears eager to bring another Cowboys player to Lambeau Field. On Wednesday, Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb confirmed on the “Up & Adams Show” that Parsons spent Pro Bowl week trying to recruit George Pickens to Green Bay.
“Everybody in my face is trying to recruit him while I’m standing right next to him,” Lamb said, before delivering the bottom line on Parsons’ pitch:
“They’re not getting him… I need GP back. We need to have the full season that we were supposed to have.”
Pickens, acquired by the Cowboys in a 2025 offseason trade from the Steelers, had a breakout season in Dallas, hauling in 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro recognition.
His production has made him one of the top free agents on the open market as the 2026 offseason approaches.
Pickens recently confirmed he and the Cowboys have not yet begun extension talks and said he’s focused on the offseason. But owner Jerry Joneshas repeatedly voiced his intention to retain him long-term and build around the young receiving duo of Lamb and Pickens.
Interestingly, Parsons and Pickens share the same agent, NFL superagent David Mulugheta of Athletes First, and it will be fascinating to see how negotiations play out later this offseason.