Jerry Jones press conference: Cowboys owner says Micah Parsons trade was in team's 'best interest'

Daniel Mader

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Jerry Jones press conference: Cowboys owner says Micah Parsons trade was in team's 'best interest' image

Run defense, draft capital, and strength in numbers. Those were some themes for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Thursday night as he described why the team decided to move on from All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons, who was dealt to the Packers.

Dallas sent Parsons to Green Bay in a blockbuster move, acquiring two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark in return. The deal brought a dramatic sequence of events between Parsons and the Cowboys to a stunning end; the 26-year-old had his trade request fulfilled in a move that will have monumental ramifications for both squads in years to come.

Jones, the iconic owner of the Cowboys, then had a lot of eyes on him Thursday night when he took the podium to discuss why he decided to trade a superstar defender in his prime, rather than meet Parsons' contract needs.

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Throughout his press conference, Jones insisted that the Parsons trade was one that had been on his mind for some time, rather than coming together in one day, and that the Cowboys are focused on changing their defensive philosophies to stopping the run due to past failures. Jones said that it was in the "best interest" of the team to trade Parsons, with the chance to use the new draft picks to acquire multiple high-level players, rather than having one in Parsons.

In all, Jones focused on Dallas' future, why it valued Clark, and how he thinks the team got better by trading Parsons. While the owner was complimentary of his former defensive star, his words marked the official closing of the Parsons saga in Dallas, as the NFL's new highest-paid non-quarterback takes his talents to Green Bay.

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from Jerry Jones and the Cowboys' press conference following the Micah Parsons-Packers trade. Here's what Jones had to say.

MORE MICAH PARSONS TRADE:

Jerry Jones updates, highlights from press conference after Micah Parsons trade

All times ET. 

8:34 p.m. — Here's how Jerry Jones concluded the press conference:

"This was a move to get us successful in the playoffs. This was a move to be better on defense, stopping the run. This was a move that if we get behind, [we won't be] run on," Jones said. "We have a chance to get a minimum of three, and it could very easily be as many as five, really top players. ... we can pay three-to-five players with the [money we would've used on Parsons.]"

"For our fans, I think we're better off having those numbers of players ... this gives us the best chance."

8:31 p.m. — The Jones family didn't feel that Micah Parsons "truly" didn't want to be a Cowboy:

8:27 p.m. — On trading Parsons within the NFC to a team they'd have to go through to reach the Super Bowl, Jones said that the team only really considered what it would mean to trade him within the division, but not the conference. 

8:20 p.m. — Jones said there's "no question" that he'll continue to use his tactic of attempting to negotiating directly with players, rather than agents. He said that he often has close relationships with players long after their careers, while agents "aren't anywhere to be found" years later.

8:13 p.m. — Jerry Jones said that him previously saying he would not trade Micah Parsons was not a tactic to increase his value. 

8:06 p.m. — In response to the reports that Parsons and his agent approached the Cowboys one last time this week to talk about an extension, Jerry Jones said he did tell Parsons to play under his existing contract in Philadelphia for Week 1.

As for the timing of the deal and why he didn't try to do it in April to get 2025 draft picks, Jones deflected the question and said "I haven't gone that deep into my thinking" and the timing of it. He said that he talked to Parsons around that time, but negotiations weren't on the same page. Jones said that there were no trade discussions about Parsons before the draft.

8:02 p.m. — Stephen Jones also added that they viewed Kenny Clark as a key part of the deal, with the team's past issues of not being able to stop the run. As for how the deal came together, Jerry described how it was still "up in the air" as of this morning.

8:00 p.m. — Jerry Jones noted that while they now have four first-round picks in the next two years, they could easily use those picks to acquire another player too.

7:58 p.m. — On Kenny Clark, Jones said "we're glad to have him" and that the Cowboys made it a point to acquire a tackle in return for Parsons. 

7:55 p.m. — When it comes to the first-round picks he acquired, Jones noted how they could result in multiple Pro Bowl-level players. He also said that this trade has been in the Cowboys' minds for months.

"I wish him so much success, don't want him to have success when he plays the Cowboys," Jones said of Parsons. 

The Dallas owner also compared the trade to the Herschel Walker deal that led to the team's success in the 1990s.

7:51 p.m. — Jones spoke on allocating the team's resources, including draft picks. He said that it's been on "his mind" that Parsons would net serious draft capital on the trade market for some time, although it should be noted that he very explicitly called him "Michael," not "Micah."

7:48 p.m. — Jones said that he "did make Micah an offer" but the pass rusher found it unacceptable since it wasn't through an agent. 

"There's no bad feelings on my part, about the fact that we didn't come together on an agreement. ... We need to stop the run. We haven't been able to stop the run at key times," Jones said, then noting that with Parsons' pass rushing skills, offenses attacked the Cowboys with the run.

7:46 p.m. — Jerry Jones opens the presser by saying he and the Cowboys thought it was in the "best interest" of the team to trade Micah Parsons, acquiring a Pro Bowler in return. 

"I want to tell you that I really like Micah. I appreciate the four years that we've had him here. He's a great player," Jones said. "There's no question that I could have signed him in April. But we all know that to have agreements, all parties have to agree."

7:40 p.m. — We're still awaiting the start of Dallas' press conference. To summarize the YouTube comment section on the Cowboys' live stream:

7:37 p.m. — Here's what the Packers' GM said about parting ways with new Cowboys DT Kenny Clark:

7:35 p.m. — As we wait for Jones and others to take the podium, it's been reported that Parsons and his team gave the Cowboys a final shot to figure out an extension during the trade rumors, but Dallas passed:

6:53 p.m. — As a reminder of the Parsons dispute timeline, which can be found here, the star pass rusher grew upset with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys due to their lack of communication in pursuing a lucrative extension.

While Parsons noted that he wanted to stay in Dallas, Jones and company showed no initiative in making that happen, leading to the star defender officially requesting a trade in early August, holding in during practices and preseason games, then eventually being dealt to Green Bay on Thursday.

6:50 p.m. — In the hours following the Cowboys-Packers blockbuster, Jerry Jones and Cowboys representatives are reportedly set to address the media. Dallas acquired DT Kenny Clark and two first-round picks in exchange for their disgruntled star, Micah Parsons.

MORE: When will Micah Parsons face the Cowboys in 2025?

When is the Cowboys' Micah Parsons trade press conference?

  • Date: Thursday, Aug. 28
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 6:30 p.m. CT

Just hours after making the Micah Parsons trade official, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are set to address the media at 6:30 p.m. local time in Dallas, or 7:30 p.m. ET. 

MORE: Details on Micah Parsons' record-breaking extension with the Packers

How to watch Jerry Jones, Cowboys press conference today

The Cowboys are airing their post-Micah Parsons press conference on their official YouTube page and their official X page.

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.