Eagles admit Cowboys just got a lot easier to beat after Micah Parsons trade
The Cowboys traded away a defensive player that their opponents feared, making life a lot easier. Without Micah Parsons, the Eagles admit it’s a relief.
The Dallas Cowboys may have picked up extra draft capital in their stunning trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, but one thing is certain: their fiercest rival is already breathing easier.
From @TheAthletic: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — “The Gambler” — got rid of Micah Parsons, one of the NFL's best players, because of his own flaws, our columnist writes. "America’s Team appears pretty damn far from Super."https://t.co/jtsmbfk4L2
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 29, 2025
“Micah’s a game-wrecker”
When the Cowboys open their season against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 4, Parsons will not be lining up on the other side. And for Philly left tackle Jordan Mailata, that’s a massive relief.
“It’s just kind of crazy,” Mailata told ESPN’s Todd Archer. “The last four or five years we’ve played the Dallas Cowboys, we’ve come up with a game plan [for him] because Micah’s a game wrecker... it’s a sigh of relief.”
For years, Parsons has been the one name circled on every Eagles game plan. Whether wreaking havoc as a pass rusher or blowing up plays in the backfield, his presence forced opposing coaches to dedicate extra blockers and adjust their schemes.
Now, the Eagles know Dallas still has plenty of defensive talent - Kenny Clark on the interior, DaRon Bland in the secondary, and solid depth across the defensive line - but even they admit it won’t be the same without Parsons constantly blowing up plays.
Without Parsons, the Eagles can focus on Dallas’ defense as a unit rather than revolving their entire strategy around stopping one of the most dominant players in the league.
Even head coach Nick Sirianni admitted that while the Cowboys’ defense remains dangerous, Parsons’ absence makes a clear difference.
“He’s in your thoughts for game planning,” Sirianni said. “But they still have guys we have to prepare for. … You don’t get too wrapped up in that except for some of the things you’re doing with the game plan.”
Cowboys’ loss, Packers’ gain
While the Eagles dodge Parsons in Week 1, they won’t escape him for long. Philly travels to Green Bay in Week 10 for Monday Night Football, where Parsons will make his presence felt in Lambeau.
And that’s where the irony lies: the Cowboys just made life easier on the Eagles in the short term, but potentially much harder for them in the postseason. Green Bay already pushed Philly to the brink in the 2024 Wild Card round. Add Parsons into the mix, and the road to the Super Bowl just got a lot more dangerous.
For now, though, the Cowboys’ biggest rival is relieved, and their season-opening clash just tilted (even more) in the Eagles’ favor.
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