NFL Star’s Ordeal Has Vikings Fans Dreaming Big
The Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons is not happy. He is due a new contract as he is finishing up his rookie deal, and if anyone has earned a big payday on the Cowboys, it is Mr. Parsons.
He has not had fewer than 12 sacks in a season, and that was just last year when he missed 4 games. Parsons is one of those players who is more than a football player and can be categorized as a force of nature. He can change the game’s atmosphere if he is causing havoc on an opposing offense, forcing them to change their strategy.
Micah Parsons aired frustration with the Cowboys in a fiery message, fueling speculation about a potential blockbuster move involving the Minnesota Vikings.
He’s also very adept at stopping the run, which means he is not one-dimensional. Every fan in the NFL would be happy to have him on their team, including Vikings fans.
Last week, Parsons put out on social media that he was done with the Cowboys. “I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” he wrote. “My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.” Ouch. He took some shots in his full post that you can read here.
Usually, when players post in such a manner, it is an unhealable cut between them and the team. Jerry Jones hasn’t been much nicer and later claimed this was just part of negotiating.
There is real animosity there, and most people are on Parsons’ side, from fans to players yelling, “PAY THE MAN!” Some fans, though, are looking at their team’s salary cap and defensive roster and saying, “TRADE THE MAN! PREFERABLY TO MY FAVORITE TEAM!” Vikings fans have not been left out of this uproar. I haven’t seen many posts calling for it, but a few people have suggested the team should take this step as a final push to reach the Super Bowl. One positive aspect is that the Vikings are not overly concerned about their starters or depth at defensive end, a strong position on the team.
The Vikings Angle for Micah Parsons
Johnathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel both went to the Pro-Bowl last year. And rookie Dallas Turner looked good even with limited playing time. Turner also has bulked up during the offseason and is doing very well in training camp. Does the team need Parsons? Where would he fit, and who would go to the bench?
Let’s take a trip to a land where Madden 26 reigns and fanboys manipulate everything they can to get a player like Micah Parsons on their team. Let’s say the Vikings trade for Parsons and decide not to give up any of the players already on the roster at that position.
So, you have Van Ginkel, Greenard, Turner, and Parsons in your rotation. That’s frightening for any team to look at across the line of scrimmage. The first question is, who are your starters? Second, can you get them all on the field at the same time? Which lineman, linebacker, or defensive back do you take off the field in that situation?
The defense definitely takes a jump up in threat level, but somebody is going to be upset. In this scenario, I would guess that Van Ginkel gets demoted, and Turner, too, as he has good players in front of him again to try to leapfrog. I mention this scenario because you are now disrupting team chemistry, which was a major highlight for the team last year, especially for the defensive players. If the team adds a player to the trade, any of those three players would most likely be a part of it. Which one would you feel least upset about letting go?
Van Ginkel has great coverage skills, and that is an excellent complement to Greenard and Turner’s pass-rushing abilities. Losing Greenard would come from the right side, and since Parsons usually lines up on the left side, and you’re moving Van Ginkel or Parsons out of their normal position, or starting Turner and one of them is rotational.
If you give up Turner, you’ve bailed on a potential star that the team gave up a lot of draft picks to get, and that return on the trade for Parsons may not be adequately reflected. The next problem is that Parsons wants a new contract, and it won’t be cheap. After Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt got big bags this offseason, he is going to want something comparable.
The Vikings could have the Cowboys do a “sign and trade” or put an extension deal together to fit him in this year, but next year is a different conversation. The Vikings are already WAY over the cap in 2026, and it will take some cap gymnastics to fit him and everyone else the team would love to keep on the roster. Speaking strictly cap-wise, this would be an “all-in” year for the team.
Adding to the fans clamoring for the trade are people on Reddit who brought up the fact that Parsons has a distant respect for Brian Flores and his defensive scheme.
Parsons would absolutely thrive in it. He knows it as well. Parsons mentioned on his podcast last year about his admiration for Flores. “I watched Flores over the past couple of years, and I remember coming out of my draft interview with him, I was like, ‘This is a guy I want to play for. He’s taking players who are often overlooked and making them play at the highest level. This dude is serious.”
It’s not the first time a player has liked what they see when they look at Kevin O’Connell and his team, whether it’s on offense or defense. This squirt of lighter fluid only causes those flames of hope to climb a little higher.
The trade has been proposed by a few, with the consensus being that it would be comparable to the Bears trading for Khalil Mack with the Raiders. That trade consisted of the Raiders receiving two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick.
The Bears got Mack along with a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick. I think a player would need to be a part of the trade to help with cap constraints or positional replacement.
As I mentioned before, I would be a bit concerned about the overall chemistry of the team, but these players are also professionals, and if it means a better chance of winning a championship, they most likely will just get over it, racking it up to being “part of the business”.
Additionally, with the cap strain in 2026, this might necessitate removing key players at other positions next year to get under it. The last thing to add is the looming shadow of trades past, where the Vikings made a massive trade with the Cowboys that is greatly lauded as one of the worst in NFL history. Here’s where my PPTSD (Purple Post Trade Disappointment) kicks in high gear.
The Herschel Walker trade is a huge blemish in Vikings lore, and this would be a similar situation that ESPN would sit and drool over by rehashing it all season long. The only way to change that narrative is if the Vikings actually won the Super Bowl, thereby finally achieving their long-overdue absolution.
As it stands, I don’t think the Vikings need to pull off this trade or can financially do so. If they were to make it, they had better win it all; otherwise, they will have to shed some contracts even after any restructuring the following year. Names like Brian O’Neill, Blake Cashman, Greenard, Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, who will be looking for their next contract in 2026, could all be brought up as possible cuts or trades.
If they go for it, they’d better put the Lombardi Trophy in that case that has been vacant for 64 years.
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