GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Packers fans across Wisconsin are still buzzing after one of the most shocking trades in recent franchise history — the Green Bay Packers acquiring All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys.
The move not only adds one of the NFL’s top defensive stars to the league’s youngest roster but also sends longtime Packer Kenny Clark, the team’s most tenured player, to Dallas. Fans say it’s a bittersweet goodbye, but one they believe will propel the team toward championship contention.
VIDEO: Micah Parsons lands in Green Bay ahead of introductory press conference at Lambeau Field
“Good job,” said Chris Dulon of Somerset, praising the Packers’ front office. “We never make splash moves like that.”
For many fans, the excitement surrounding Parsons feels unprecedented. Rod Gallagher of Rome, Wis., struggled to compare it to anything in recent memory.
“What Charles Woodson came into was very exciting,” Gallagher said. “But… not really something this exciting. Doesn’t happen very often.”
Gallagher also reflected on the rarity of the deal itself. “Reggie was the face of the NFL at that time and I never thought that was going to happen. I never thought Jerry Jones would give up Micah Parsons to the Packers and… it’s happened.”
That comparison to Reggie White’s 1993 arrival in Green Bay is one fans are already making, hoping Parsons’ impact could be similar. White and Parsons also share a historic connection — they’re the only two players to record more than 50 sacks in their first four NFL seasons.
While the Cowboys’ owner called the move one that would make Dallas better, Dulon isn’t buying it.
“He’s just trying to save face,” Dulon said. “They didn’t want to pay him what he is worth — and Green Bay is willing.”
For fans like Gavin Strisiski, the trade wasn’t just about the roster — it was about bragging rights.
“I did not think we were going to get him,” Strisiski said. “All my friends at home are Eagles fans, so they are all talking about how they have Saquon — and now I get to tell them how we have Parsons.”
Others found out in the most 21st-century way possible.
“[I was] hilling on the couch, going through my fantasy lineup and got the notification and sent the screenshot to all my buddies… and we all went crazy and couldn’t believe it happened,” Alec Kurtz of Green Bay said.
Kurtz also noted how Parsons changed the complexion of a young Packers defense.
“We just made the team younger too. Parsons is 26. We needed someone like that to make that extra push on the defense.”
For fans across Titletown, the trade has brought a mix of shock, nostalgia and unshakable optimism.
Just as Reggie White once helped elevate Brett Favre and the Packers to a Super Bowl at age 27, fans are hoping Parsons can help Jordan Love — also 27 — lead the team on a similar path.
And while Clark’s leadership will be missed, Packers fans believe Parsons may be the missing piece.
