So long as the Kansas City Chiefs have Andy Reid at head coach and Patrick Mahomes II at quarterback, they will be viewed as a very attractive destination for veterans and youngsters alike ā but would KC trade for a rising superstar thatās looking for a new contract?
On December 30, social media aggregator MLFootball relayed that āthe Kansas City Chiefs [currently] have the 2nd best odds to TRADE for superstar OLB Micah Parsons if [the] Dallas [Cowboys] move on, per @BovadaOfficial.ā
Bovada also confirmed these betting odds by reposting MLFootball on X.
āParsons, the former Rookie of The Year, is already a 3x Pro Bowler and 3x All-Pro and is on pace to be one of the all-time great pass rushers,ā MLFootball reminded. Obviously, there would be a line of suitors if the Cowboys ended up shopping Parsons via trade.
Can the Cowboys Afford to Pay Micah Parsons?
Flashback one year ago and Dallas had three integral superstars that needed to be extended. Quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and the aforementioned Parsons.
They chose to take care of Prescott and Lamb first ā and both playmakers followed up on those extensions with injury-riddled seasons. That leaves Parsons and the all-important decision of; should the Cowboys pay their stud draft pick once again, or should they retool behind a blockbuster trade package this time around?
On December 19, Parsons was very candid in telling reporters that he āwant[s] to be backā with Dallas in 2025, per The Athletic. He even stressed that he doesnāt need to be paid $40 million per year ā a number that would outpace San Francisco 49ers superstar Nick Bosa by $6 million per season.
āIt would just be nice to be surrounded by good players,ā Parsons explained. āPlayers that will help you win championships, Iāll say that. To me, having $40 million and [being] chipped every play and slid into with three or four people, that doesnāt sound too fun to me. So, to me, itās about people that can keep making a differenceā¦ I want to keep as many guys [on the Cowboys] as possible.ā
Dallas is projected to have approximately $19.965 million in available cap space in 2025, with $21.324 million of their resources being allocated to Parsonsā fifth-year option. Re-signing him is not impossible by any means, but the Cowboys will have to either shift some things around or backload the deal if they want to extend Parsons while also adding talent around him.
Potential Chiefs Trade Target Micah Parsons Has Put Together 4 Elite Seasons as a Pass Rusher
As MLFootball said, Parsons is a former first-round selection and three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team) at age 25. He has already achieved 50.0 sacks in just 62 regular season starts, plus 1.0 career sack in four playoff outings.
Parsons is having what is considered to be a down year by his standards, but thatās mostly due to injury. The game wrecker missed four starts in 2024, leading to a career-low in sacks (9.5) and tackles for a loss (10), but heās still put together a dominant campaign as a pass rusher from an analytical standpoint.
According to Pro Football Focus, Parsons ranks fifth in the NFL in pass rush win percentage this season (minimum 20% of snaps played) and third behind Aidan Hutchinson and Myles Garrett in the PFF pass rushing metric PRP (āa formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times they rush the passerā).
In other words, for the fourth straight season, Parsons has proven to be elite at getting to and bringing down the quarterback. Imagine that type of impact defender supporting Chris Jones.
Betting Site Names Lions as Chiefsā Top Competition for Micah Parsons via Trade
We mentioned that the Chiefs are currently second in the betting odds to trade for Parsons according to Bovada. Which begs the question, whoās No. 1?
MLFootball passed that note along on X too, relaying: āThe Detroit Lions are the FAVORITES for a TRADE for superstar OLB Micah Parsons if Dallas moves on, per @BovadaOfficial.ā
This makes sense, considering the Chiefs and Lions are seen as two of the more successful win-now franchises at this very moment.
With a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, the Lions will clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC ā which is something that the Chiefs have already accomplished in the AFC.
While itās still way too early to know if Parsons will be traded ā and who the major suitors would be if/when that day occurs ā itās always nice to know that Kansas City has creative avenues in which they can still improve long-term.
