The Micah Parsons trade still stings in Dallas - and CeeDee Lamb isn’t hiding it.
The Cowboys wide receiver opened up this week about the blockbuster move that sent Parsons to Green Bay last August, a decision that shook the foundation of Dallas' defense and, according to Lamb, left a void that was never truly filled.
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Lamb didn’t mince words about how he felt watching one of the league’s most dominant defensive players walk out the door.
“I was pretty upset when Micah left,” Lamb said. “I’m not afraid to say it again.”
Let’s be clear - Lamb’s not throwing anyone under the bus here. He acknowledged that Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones had to make a decision he believed was best for the franchise. But from Lamb’s perspective, the timing and impact of the deal were tough to swallow.
“I can give [Jerry] my opinion as to what I think about Micah,” Lamb added. “At the end of the day, him and his team are going to make the best decision for us, right?”
That decision? Trading Parsons to the Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Green Bay wasted no time locking up their new star, handing Parsons a four-year, $188 million extension with $136 million guaranteed - a number that reflects just how valuable he is as a game-wrecker off the edge.
From a front-office standpoint, the return made sense. But on the field, the Cowboys felt the absence of their former All-Pro linebacker almost immediately.
Despite a midseason push to shore up the defense - including trades for Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson before the deadline - Dallas couldn’t stop the bleeding. The run defense improved in stretches, but the pass rush never fully recovered without Parsons commanding double teams and wreaking havoc in the backfield. The Cowboys finished a disappointing 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs, a far cry from the Super Bowl aspirations that hovered over the team last summer.
Lamb, always one to speak with both passion and perspective, reflected on the defensive upgrades and where things still fell short.
“We ended up with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, and we couldn’t stop the run, so that was pretty good for us to elevate as far as defensive-wise,” Lamb said. “But then we were missing a pass-rusher to get to the quarterback. I felt like that’s what we were missing.”
It’s a fair assessment. Clark and Williams brought size and strength to the interior, but without Parsons flying off the edge, the defense lacked the kind of pressure that disrupts elite quarterbacks and flips games. Dallas had pieces - just not the same punch.
Still, Lamb made it clear there’s no bad blood between him and his former teammate.
“Micah’s my man,” he said. “He knows that brotherly love is never lost.”
And while Parsons is now anchoring a Packers defense that made a deep playoff run, the Cowboys are left searching for answers - and maybe, just maybe, a new pass-rusher to fill the void. One name that’s already being whispered in league circles? Maxx Crosby.
The Raiders star reportedly wants out of Las Vegas amid yet another rebuild, and if he does hit the trade market, Dallas could be a logical landing spot. Crosby’s relentless motor and elite production could give the Cowboys exactly what they lacked after Parsons’ departure - a true difference-maker on the edge.
But that’s a conversation for another day.
For now, Lamb’s comments serve as a reminder of what the Cowboys lost - not just in talent, but in identity. Micah Parsons wasn’t just a pass-rusher.
He was the heartbeat of the defense. And even months after the trade, that heartbeat still echoes in Dallas.