After an injury-riddled 2025 season that culminated with a wild-card round loss to the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers have already made some early free-agency moves. Notably, longtime Packer Rashan Gary was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, opening up a spot on a defense that was one of the best in the league when fully healthy last season.
Gary follows Kenny Clark, who was acquired by the Cowboys in the Micah Parsons trade last season. While Clark did not live up to expectations in Year 1 with Dallas, his role in the Parsons trade requires shipping others out of the DT room to help afford a contract extension that may not even be worth it for the Cowboys.
According to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com, the current DT unit for the Cowboys consists of Quinnen Williams, Clark, Jay Toia, and Otito Ogbonnia, who agreed to terms with Dallas on Tuesday. This comes after trading Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers and Solomon Thomas to the Tennessee Titans.
Odighizuwa, specifically, has been a consistent force on Dallas' defensive front and was signed to a four-year, $80 million deal last March. However, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero points out, Dallas traded for Clark and Williams, both of whom are in line for extensions. The move gives San Francisco a talented DT and gives Dallas some flexibility, but it also highlights how much money the Cowboys have tied up at the same position.
Kenny Clark Causing Cowboys Even More Problems
Clark had 36 total tackles and three sacks last season with the Cowboys, but it was nowhere near the production he enjoyed for the majority of his tenure in Green Bay, to be fair. Clark recorded 35 sacks during his nine seasons with the Packers, including a career-high 7.5 in 2023.
The defensive tackle is set to turn 31 in October, meaning any potential contract extension could lead to some serious buyer's remorse. Furthermore, the potential regret of parting with the younger Odighizuwa, putting their trust in Clark after back-to-back disappointing seasons, is a huge risk for a Cowboys team that tends to make headlines for questionable roster moves.
Now, when Parsons gets back to full strength, he has already shown how large an impact he can make for the Packers, so it is clear who the winners of that trade have been up to this point. In addition to Gary, the Packers traded Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin. Green Bay's front office is clearly not holding back on making sure the right pieces are in place for this defense to succeed once again.
It was not ideal when the Packers had to let Clark go, but it is safe to say everything has worked out for the better with Parsons and a stout defense overall. For Dallas, the same cannot be said after some questionable moves at the DT position have left the Cowboys in an uncomfortable situation as they manage their roster.
The Packers may have had a disappointing end to the 2025 season, and there is no way to sugarcoat that. However, with a strong defense at their disposal and a familiar situation playing out for Clark and the Cowboys, Green Bay fans should feel great knowing they are the clear winners from last year's blockbuster move.