Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Sports commentator Melissa Stark interviews Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) after the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

When the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, they were OK with the fact that they would be sending one of the best defenders in the NFL to a conference rival.

However, they made sure that Parsons could not haunt them in their own division.

Months after one of the biggest trades in recent memory, it has come to light that a condition baked into the transaction would prevent the Packers from flipping the superstar Parsons to any other team in the NFC East. If the Packers moved Parsons to the Washington Commanders, the New York Giants, or the team they truly feared would go all-in — the Philadelphia Eagles — then the Packers would give their 2028 first-round draft pick to the Cowboys.

On the other end, the same went for the player who went to the Cowboys in defensive end Kenny Clark. If the Cowboys moved him to anyone in Green Bay’s division of the NFC North, the Cowboys would have to deliver the Packers their first-round pick in the 2028 draft.

This is known as a ‘poison pill’ clause, which effectively shuts down any attempt by either team to act as a middleman in a divisional opponent's attempt to acquire a star player from a rival. The Eagles heavily pursued Parsons, but the Cowboys were never going to let the reigning champions line Parsons up against them twice a year for the next half-decade.

Since moving to Green Bay, Parsons has continued his All-Pro form, with seven sacks and ranking second among EDGEs by Pro Football Focus after 10 weeks of play.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Cowboys sneaky clause blocks Eagles from getting Micah Parsons

Reporting by Touchdown Wire / Touchdown Wire

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