Micah Parsons requests a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. Which teams could be potential new employers?

Micah Parsons could hardly have made himself clearer. The Dallas Cowboys defense star has informed the NFL franchise’s management that he wants to leave the team.

“Unfortunately, I don’t want to be here anymore,” he announced in his statement to “X.” From the 26-year-old’s perspective, management never really worked seriously toward reaching a timely agreement with him on a contract extension.

“To date, the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract,” he added.

Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which was extended through the fifth-year option. His final contract year would earn Parsons $24 million, and an extension could see him join the ranks of the top earners at his position.

Meanwhile, the relationship between the two parties appears to be poisoned, and the athlete has not participated in training camp so far.

However, it is not certain that the defensive end will leave “America’s Team.” The Cowboys do not have to let him go for the upcoming season and can still extend his contract beyond that – should Parsons agree to do so.

But: In view of his clear statements and the officially submitted trade request, it is definitely worth taking a look at the future.

Buffalo Bills

At first glance, there are certainly obstacles for the Bills in signing Parsons. First of all, they don’t really have enough financial leeway to sign him long term. On top of that, they would have to give up a lot of draft capital for Parsons, and they’ve been picking relatively late for years.

But: The Bills have been very good for several seasons in a row – and yet not good enough. They now need to focus on winning the Super Bowl. They already have top players in Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau, but Parsons would take the defense to another level.

When Buffalo has needed a crucial defensive stop in the playoffs in recent years, the team has failed. Parsons could make the difference and pave the way to the final.

New England Patriots

Although the Patriots have already spent an incredible $361 million this offseason, they still have plenty of money to spend. With just under $60 million, they still have by far the largest cap space of any team and could easily fit Parsons on their books. This is an advantage resulting from the fact that playmaker Drake Maye will still be playing under his rookie contract for some time.

New coach Mike Vrabel would surely love nothing more than to build the identity of the Pats around a top defensive player, as was the case in the early 2000s when the Brady/Belichick dynasty began.

New England already snatched Milton Williams from Super Bowl champions Philadelphia and won the bidding war for longtime Titans edge rusher Harold Landry III. With Parsons as reinforcement, the team could field a fearsome D-line.

Los Angeles Chargers

Under coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are betting big on defense. With more than $30 million in cap space, they have plenty of room to maneuver, and they don’t have to worry about a costly contract for quarterback Justin Herbert anytime soon.

Parsons could fill the void left by Joey Bosa in L.A. and take the defense to a new level.

The AFC West is a tough division with the Chiefs, Broncos, and Raiders. L.A. needs to make sure it doesn’t fall behind.

Las Vegas Raiders

Similar to the Chargers, the Raiders are also trying to keep pace in the AFC West. With playmaker Geno Smith and coach Pete Carroll, two important pillars have been signed, and now the turnaround must be completed.

With Maxx Crosby, a top player has already been signed to the Parsons position with a mega contract – but the Raiders have the necessary financial leeway and could build a nightmare pass rush. Sounds tempting in any case.

Green Bay Packers

At first glance, it seems unlikely that the Cowboys would trade Parsons to their long-time playoff rivals in Green Bay. And yet, a trade to the Cheeseheads could make perfect sense. In each of the past two years, the Packers have been the youngest team in the NFL – and made the playoffs both times. However, in the decisive moments, they struggled most of all in terms of pass rush.

Parsons could help the Packers make their breakthrough on their way to the Super Bowl, similar to what Reggie White did when he joined the team in the 1990s.

What speaks for Green Bay: Quarterback Jordan Love and Parsons are friends in private, and in the offseason, the two even flew to Dubai together to train. In February, the playmaker also tried to recruit Parsons during an appearance on his podcast, but at the time, the defensive end said he was a Cowboy for life.

Chicago Bears

In 2018, the Bears pulled off a blockbuster trade with Khalil Mack, and seven years later, fans in the Windy City are hoping for another signing of that caliber. The Bears have improved their team in many areas during the offseason, but their pass rush is anything but fearsome and could use a player of Micah Parsons’ caliber.

If they want to keep up with the Lions, Packers, and Vikings in the powerful NFC North, they need a strong defense. That’s reason enough for general manager Ryan Poles to pick up the phone.