It’s been months since the Green Bay Packers pulled off one of the most seismic trades in recent NFL memory, landing superstar defensive weapon Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. And yet, even now, it’s hard to wrap your head around the sight of Parsons in green and gold.
This is a player who once declared he wanted to be a Cowboy for life. But in a league where loyalty often takes a backseat to roster math and cap strategy, both sides made a business decision - and now, the ripple effects are still being felt.
The Cowboys opted to flip Parsons for a package that included draft capital and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark, a three-time Pro Bowler with a decade of experience in the trenches. At the time, Clark was seen by some as a secondary piece in the deal - a steady presence but not a headline-grabber. That perception didn’t last long.
Clark made his presence felt in Dallas in 2025, delivering a solid campaign that helped stabilize the Cowboys' defensive interior. He racked up 36 tackles, six of them for loss, added nine quarterback hits, and notched three sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the year as the 37th-highest-graded interior defender out of 134 qualified players - a respectable showing for a player many thought was just a throw-in.
But now, as the offseason kicks into high gear, Clark’s future in Dallas is suddenly up in the air. He’s been flagged as a potential cap casualty - and not without reason.
Releasing him would free up a sizable $21.5 million in cap space for 2026, with zero dead money attached. That’s a tempting number for a franchise trying to navigate one of the league’s most expensive payrolls.
And that’s where things get interesting - because if Dallas decides to move on, the Packers might be waiting with open arms.
Clark spent the first nine seasons of his career in Green Bay. He knows the system, the culture, the locker room.
There’s no reported bad blood between him and the organization, and given how well he played during his time there, it’s easy to envision a reunion making sense for both sides. From Green Bay’s perspective, bringing Clark back would be a savvy move - one that could potentially swing the perception of the Parsons trade even further in their favor.
Think about it: the Packers already landed one of the league’s most dynamic defensive playmakers in Parsons. If they were to also reclaim Clark - a player who’s still capable of anchoring a defensive front - it would be a rare case of a team winning both ends of a blockbuster trade. That kind of outcome isn’t just a front-office win; it’s a statement.
Of course, nothing’s set in stone. Recent reports suggest the Cowboys may ultimately decide to keep Clark around.
He’s still a productive vet, and Dallas knows the value of having a proven interior defender who can hold his ground against the run and push the pocket on passing downs. But the numbers don’t lie - $21.5 million in potential savings is hard to ignore.
And if the Cowboys do decide to cut ties, don’t be surprised if Green Bay picks up the phone. In a league driven by timing, familiarity, and fit, the idea of Clark returning to Lambeau Field isn’t just plausible - it’s potentially poetic.
The Parsons trade was already a franchise-shifting move for the Packers. But if they manage to bring Clark back into the fold, it could go down as one of the savviest long-term wins we’ve seen in recent memory.