Cowboys’ goals ‘haven’t changed’ after Parsons trade, says coach

FRISCO, Texas — There was a mix of shock and surprise in the Dallas Cowboys locker room when they were informed Thursday night that edge rusher Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Parsons broke the news to his fellow defensive linemen in a group chat. Other players found out through their own positions’ group chats or social media.

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“We’ve got to win with who we have,” special teams ace and one of the veteran leaders, C.J. Goodwin, said. “And I think we have enough.”

Soon after the trade, coach Brian Schottenheimer said he called 12-14 players just so they could hear his voice. Quarterback Dak Prescott was one of the players. So was Trevon Diggs, who was perhaps Parsons’ closest friend on the team.

“I did want those guys to feel like they had a chance to talk to me,” Schottenheimer said. “I said, ‘You guys can say anything you want to me. Here’s why we made the decision. Here’s what went into it.’ Again, those conversations were powerful but also will stay between me and them.”

On Friday, Schottenheimer addressed the full team with a message.

“Nothing’s changed. My goals haven’t changed, Our team goals haven’t changed,” Schottenheimer said. “I hit the players on that today after I talked about just the tough couple days for all the guys, and it doesn’t change. The standard is the standard. I said that. With all the new pieces and people we had in there, I needed to hit the goal, which is to win a world’s championship. I needed to hit that we also want to build one of the greatest professional sports cultures in the world. That’s part of the deal when you add new pieces, you have to make sure they understand your vision.”

The team also acknowledged Parson’s departure on Friday with a “thank you” message on X.

Thank you, Micah 🦁 pic.twitter.com/cVYbSoQDyG

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 29, 2025

Aside from the strangeness of not seeing Parsons on the practice field or in the locker room, the focus of the day was their first practice in preparation for the Eagles.

“The positive thing about [the timing of the trade] is we’re into a regular seven-day cycle with Philadelphia,” the coach said, “and it’s one of those things that now we get to focus on Philly.”

Replacing Parsons and his 52.5 sacks will be difficult. Two of the players the Cowboys will look to are their second-round picks the past two seasons: Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku.

“Whether he was here or not, it is going to be important for all of us to really go out there and produce,” Kneeland said. “That’s just what this is going to have to be, anyway. So now we all really get to show what we can do.”

Ezeiruaku said Parsons reached out to him immediately after the draft and has helped him throughout the summer.

“We’ve always been hungry to go get it and hit the quarterback,” Ezeiruaku said. “At the same time, we understand it’s a big piece of the pie that’s missing, that’s not here anymore. We’ve got to fill that and we’re going to do exactly that.”

For Clark, his day started with an early morning flight from Green Bay to Dallas with his family and a physical. He did not practice with the team, but he made an impression by introducing himself to every player on the team.

He was aware of the Parsons’ contract saga but never thought he would be part of a deal. In fact, he was at the store with his daughter getting some ice cream following practice when he was told by the Packers of the trade.

“I’m here to play ball, man,” Clark said. “Whether it’s nose tackle, 3-tech, I’m just here to be the best defensive tackle I can be.”

Clark, 29, is signed for three more years and is a three-time Pro Bowl pick. Schottenheimer said he is not sure a deal would have been concluded if Clark was not part of the package in return. Schottenheimer said Clark will play against the Eagles.

“He’s been playing in similar systems and has exposure to [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’] system,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s a pro. He’ll have no problem getting up to speed, so you should expect to see him out there.”

Clark played against the Eagles twice last year, including the season opener and divisional round of the playoffs.

“This franchise,” Clark said, “will get everything I got.”