All eyes are on AT&T Stadium this Sunday night as Micah Parsons, the two-time All-Pro pass rusher, makes his highly anticipated return to Dallas in a Green Bay Packers uniform. It’s a storyline packed with drama, nostalgia, and no shortage of competitive fire, coming exactly one month to the day after Parsons was sent to Green Bay in a blockbuster trade that shook both franchises to their core. The Cowboys, sitting at 1-2, are desperate to avoid falling further behind in the NFC, while the 2-1 Packers look to cement their status as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Parsons, who had spent the entirety of his career in Dallas before the August 28 trade, is about to step into the visitor’s locker room at AT&T Stadium for the very first time. "No refunds," Parsons quipped about his suite at the stadium, suggesting he’s more than ready for this homecoming—at least for this season. But make no mistake: the best payback would be to help Green Bay notch a win in prime time, pushing his new team closer to the NFL’s elite and sending his old squad further into a tailspin.
“Once the game starts, who’s going to be worried about any trade?” Parsons told The Associated Press. “It’s just me against them five men in front of me, and then we’ve got one common goal, and that’s to win the football game.” Still, Parsons acknowledged the uniqueness of the moment, given how familiar he is with the Cowboys’ personnel. The symmetry of the game falling exactly one month after the trade only adds to the intrigue.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have had a rocky start to the season. A tight opening loss to Philadelphia was followed by a wild overtime win against the New York Giants, only to be followed up by a disappointing showing in Chicago. With owner Jerry Jones having traded away his best player in his prime—netting two first-round picks and veteran run-stopper Kenny Clark—the team is left searching for its identity. First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer is trying to keep the locker room focused. “If you truly do believe, which I truly do believe, that each week is its own week, and you can’t get too high, you can’t get too low,” Schottenheimer said. “I literally haven’t spent a lot of time going, ‘Man, I can’t believe we’re playing Micah this week.’”
Quarterback Dak Prescott, who’s spent countless hours practicing against Parsons, is relishing the matchup. “It’ll definitely be fun,” Prescott said. “Yeah, it’s one me and my fiancée were just talking about the other day and just all the reps of practice, going against Micah in times when he couldn’t hit me, whether him getting back there, just the trash talk back and forth, me telling him he wouldn’t tackle me anyways, he still can’t bring me down. Just getting to go out there and compete with a guy that’s a good friend, that I’ve competed with in numbers of ways throughout this building, outside of this building. But he’s got five guys up front, plus tight ends and running backs, that he’s got to get through. Then we’ll worry about if he can get to me.”
But Parsons isn’t the only former star facing his old team. Kenny Clark, the veteran defensive lineman, is set for his own emotional reunion. Clark, a three-time Pro Bowler, spent over twice as long in Green Bay as Parsons did in Dallas. “That’s up to whoever. That’s on everybody else,” Clark said about being the forgotten man in the trade. “I’m here to win and play my (rear end) off and do everything I can for us to get a win.”
Adding to the Packers’ defensive prowess is Rashan Gary, who leads the NFL with 4.5 sacks after recording at least one in every game so far. The attention Parsons draws from opposing offenses has only helped Gary flourish. “Micah’s going to make plays. I’ll just put that out there,” Schottenheimer remarked. “Because Micah’s a great player. But just adding Micah to the mix doesn’t negate the fact that they had really good players there before Micah got there.”
If the Packers’ defense is humming, their discipline has been another story. In last week’s 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay was flagged 14 times, their highest single-game total since 2010. Over the past two games, they’ve racked up 24 penalties, another dubious milestone not seen since the 2010 campaign—the same year they last won the Super Bowl. Is it a bad omen or a quirky prelude to another title run? Only time will tell.
Injuries are also shaping the narrative. Dallas will be without two starting offensive linemen: center Cooper Beebe (foot injury, on injured reserve) and rookie right guard Tyler Booker (high ankle sprain), forcing Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass into the starting lineup. Star receiver CeeDee Lamb is also out with a high ankle sprain, further limiting the Cowboys’ firepower. Green Bay, meanwhile, has its own woes up front. Left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Tom returned to action last week after missing time, but Tom lasted only one play before exiting, and Banks was hurt later in the game.
There’s also plenty of chatter about the Cowboys’ roster moves and possible trades. Rumors are swirling that Dallas could pursue Carolina Panthers’ receiver Xavier Legette, a former first-round pick who’s struggled to make an impact in the NFL. Some insiders suggest the Cowboys could acquire Legette for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft—a steep price, given his limited production. However, others argue that Dallas should be sellers, not buyers, moving veterans like Dante Fowler, Jalen Tolbert, Luke Schoonmaker, Sam Williams, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, and Jack Sanborn to stockpile draft picks and give younger players a shot.
In another roster shakeup, the Houston Texans signed cornerback Zion Childress off the Cowboys’ practice squad, just a day after releasing safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. NFL rules allow practice squad players to sign with any team, and Childress, an undrafted receiver from Kentucky, will now have a chance to prove himself in Houston.
As for honoring Parsons, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made it clear there won’t be any special tributes Sunday night, unlike the sendoff Emmitt Smith received in 2003. “I don’t think that’s appropriate this week,” Jones said. “Emmitt’s a different story. That’s not to diminish Micah, but I think Micah’s got enough welcome out there.”
Looking ahead, the Cowboys’ schedule doesn’t get any easier, with upcoming games against the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers looming. But for now, all focus is on Sunday night’s showdown—a contest loaded with emotion, history, and playoff implications.
With both teams banged up but hungry, and Parsons set to face off against his old teammates, there’s no shortage of storylines. The Packers’ fast starts—they’ve outscored opponents 44-9 in the first three quarters—have been offset by late-game struggles, getting outscored 35-20 in the fourth quarter. Will Dallas exploit that trend, or will Green Bay finally put together a complete game?
One thing’s certain: the action at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night promises to be must-watch football. As the teams take the field, the echoes of the trade, the weight of expectations, and the roar of the crowd will set the stage for a contest neither side will soon forget.
