Remember the New York Giants were the punching bags of the NFC East? Now, they kindly step aside because Jerry Jones and his circus of a team known as the Dallas Cowboys have now taken that mantle. Jones and the Cowboys took a bizarre approach with contract negotiations with star pass rusher Micah Parsons. From refusing to negotiate to Parsons' agent to believing a normal conversation with the pass rusher were negotiations. It got to the point that Parsons was so fed up, that he requested a trade off the team.
Well on Thursday, the Cowboys traded Parsons off of the team and to the Green Bay Packers, who immediately rewarded him with a four-year, $188 million contract extension.
Giants fans understandably celebrated, as a superstar pass rusher will no longer be playing against them twice a year for the foreseeable future. But let's pump the brakes, because the Giants still play Parsons this year. In Week 11, the Giants host the Packers at MetLife Stadium.
Giants still face Micah Parsons in 2025 despite trade from Cowboys
This will be the first time that the Giants will play the Packers since the 2023 season, where former quarterback Tommy DeVito led the team to a 24-22 upset win at MetLife Stadium. But now, it will e a Packers team with an improved receiving corps and Parsons on their defensive line.
The Giants are better on paper than they were back in the 2023 season. The thing is, though, they have the toughest schedule in the league, as their opponents hold a cumulative record of 166-123. The beginning of the schedule is ruthless, but at least the Cowboys matchup in Week 2 is much more attainable without Parsons on that team.
Parsons has made an impact when he faces off against the Giants, dating back to the 2021 season. In eight games, Parsons recorded 21 combined tackles (14 solo, seven assisted), 13 quarterback hits, six tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Plus, Parsons is a perfect 8-0 against the Giants.
It will be intriguing if this Giants team, which is carrying incredible positive vibes out of the preseason, can beat a playoff contender like the Packers, especially now that they added Parsons. But, facing him once a year is way better than twice.