PACKERS pick up Zaire Franklin and then trade Gary to Dallas
“Jeff Howe
By Jeff Howe
March 9, 2026Updated 10:08 am CDT
The Green Bay Packers are trading defensive end Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Why they made the move
With Gary’s $28 million cap hit not being sustainable, the Packers had to find a way to move the pass rusher or restructure his deal. The Cowboys — still looking for edge rushing help in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade to the Packers last summer — called a familiar trade partner to rekindle the flame.
Gary, 28, has been consistent, with 46.5 sacks over seven years. The Cowboys’ 35 sacks in 2025 were tied for the seventh-fewest in the NFL, a steep decline from finishing third in the NFL with 52 sacks in 2024.
Cowboys grade: B
In a vacuum, the future mid-round pick is very strong value for Gary. The Cowboys have remained dedicated to reshaping their front seven since the Parsons trade, and Gary is the latest in a string of moves.
Of course, it’s impossible to separate that sequence of events from the root of the cause. They could have just extended Parsons in the first place.
Packers trade: B
Conversely, the Packers recognized at the time of the Parsons trade that they’d need to reconfigure their cap management, and with less than $10 million in cap space, per Over The Cap, they needed to free themselves from Gary’s hit.
The draft pick won’t cede immediate results, but it’s a worthy asset to pocket in the meantime.”
The Cowboys bolstered their defensive line via trade (again).
www.nytimes.com