Storm clouds that settled in over The Star in Frisco on Thursday night gave for an ominous feeling walking into the first Dallas Cowboys press conference since the shocking trade of Micah Parsons earlier in the day.
And while the gloomy weather outside represents the feelings of most of the fan base, the Cowboys gave a different feeling when they took the podium.
With son and executive vice president Stephen Jones next to him, owner Jerry Jones spoke for more than 45 minutes about the team’s decision to move on from Parsons.
While sources behind the scenes described the relationship between the Cowboys and Parsons as fractured in recent weeks and irreparable in recent days, Jones took the high road in explaining the thought process in sending his four-time Pro Bowl defensive end to the Green Bay Packers.
“There’s not an ounce of vindictiveness,” Jones said. “Micah Parsons did an outstanding job for us for four years. ... We are very appreciative of the fact that he’s a great player.”
While the positivity on the way out is an admirable approach — much different than the one the Dallas Mavericks took when they traded Luka Doncic in February — some comments on Thursday revealed the issues below the surface.
From a run-in with DeMarcus Lawrence that blew up after the season last year, to lying on the training table with his eyes closed in the middle of a preseason game, to claiming he had back tightness to potentially prevent himself from playing in Week 1 of the season, the signs were always there of a fractured relationship with the team that extended beyond the front office.
It was proven when Jones said Thursday that it was a “unanimous decision” to move on from Parsons.
“Make no mistake, what wasn’t up in the air was a consideration as a complete organization that if we could get this done with our terms, we would make this trade,” Jones said. “That was in complete unanimity.”
“The entire coaching representatives, as well as our entire front office,” Jones said. “Everyone that is involved that has an interest in going forward that we counsel with. ... This was unanimous. Players that were on [the team’s leadership council] certainly had [a say].”
A team source with knowledge of the discussions this week confirmed Jones’ statement by saying coaches, including head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and at least one front-facing player were consulted before the decision was made. It was still a unanimous decision to get the deal done.
In the trade, the Cowboys acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Clark arrives at a dire position of need as the big reason why the trade was agreed upon on Dallas’ side. Multiple times during the press conference, Jones emphasized that this trade allows the Cowboys to stop the run more efficiently in this season and beyond.
“We need to stop the run,” Jones said. “And we haven’t been able to stop the run in key times for several years. And when you have the kind of extraordinary pass rush that Micah had, then the way to mitigate that pass rush is to run at you.”
