NFL

Cowboys receive:
DT Kenny Clark
2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick

Packers receive:
EDGE Micah Parsons

Hoo boy. I — along with many others — assumed the Cowboys and Parsons would come to an eventual agreement, keeping one of the best players in the league with Dallas for the duration of his prime. That, however, was until yesterday afternoon, when reports began trickling out that the Cowboys were open to fielding calls on Parsons. After that, the news moved rapidly and Parsons was dealt to the Packers within the blink of an eye.

This is obviously a seismic transaction, and one that’ll take some time to digest. Most people came to immediate conclusions regarding winners and losers of this trade, but in reality, there are myriad ways to evaluate the pros and cons of this deal for Dallas and Green Bay — and Parsons.

Suffice to say, the Cowboys, particularly in 2025, are taking a massive hit. Parsons has 52.5 sacks over the first four seasons of his career, and Dallas has no immediate replacement for him. That’ll sting. Clark is still a fine player and fills a need for the team, but at 29, his best days are behind him. It’s reasonable to expect a mediocre year for Dallas.

In the long term, the Cowboys have created some breathing room with the salary cap, but it’s doubtful they’ll adequately replace Parsons. The two first rounders coming from the Packers will probably slot in the 20s, and the freed up money won’t help the franchise add an elite edge rusher because those types of talents rarely reach free agency.

Dallas can try to convince itself it improved its future with this move, but I don’t see it. This feels like an organization falling more and more behind.

The Packers, inversely, are young and building for the present and future. Parsons fits both timelines, and at the cost of two (probably) later first-round selections, the cost is manageable. Losing Clark up the middle defensively will hurt, but the addition of Parsons can outweigh almost anything. The NFC North is a brutal division, but Green Bay is positioned well to compete now and in the coming years.

The last bit of business regarding this trade is the extension signed by Parsons. Green Bay wisely made sure to come to an agreement with the edge defender prior to adding him, but the cost is exorbitant. At $47 million per season, Parsons will be far and away the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL, making his sticker price significantly higher than his acquisition price. That’s fine, though, as long as the Packers win big with him on the roster.

I’m normally not a fan of shipping assets for a player that then has to be signed to a market-level contract, but Parsons is a different breed. In this case, Dallas’ blunder is Green Bay’s fortune, and unless the Packers shockingly regress, the franchise is set to contend for the rest of the decade. Winning another Lombardi Trophy would make this decision more than worth it for the Packers.

Cowboys Grade: D

Packers Grade: B

NCAAF

South Florida 34, (25) Boise State 7

I loved the quirky 5:30 p.m. local start of this game. We need more of those every now and then on weekdays.

Boise State briefly controlled this game, but it didn’t take long for South Florida’s athleticism to take over. The Bulls looked much faster than the Broncos, a bad omen for the 2024 playoff participants. South Florida’s defense particularly popped, but so did Byrum Brown, who was limited to just five games last season. Brown’s legs bring an exciting dynamic to Alex Golesh’s offense.

Brown recorded 43 rushing yards and two touchdowns yesterday.

For the Bulls’ terrorizing defense, Jhalyn Shuler and Mac Harris shined. Shuler was all over the place with 14 tackles, while Harris laid a brutal fumble-forcing hit in the first half.

South Florida’s next two games are at Florida and at Miami, so we’ll learn a ton about Golesh’s program before the middle of September.

Maybe Ashton Jeanty truly was everything for Boise State. The Broncos had an easy method of moving the chains with the former Heisman runner-up in the backfield, but were lost offensively in this contest.

Maddux Madsen was partly at fault, as he failed to generate many big plays. His QBR of 25.9 backed that up.

Madsen finished 25-of-46 for 225 yards and a touchdown.

Rutgers 34, Ohio 31

If it weren’t for a few special teams miscues by Ohio, the Bobcats probably win this game. For a Rutgers team seeking to establish itself in the Big Ten, that’s obviously a bad sign.

A win is a win, however, and Greg Schiano should feel good about his quarterback. Athan Kaliakmanis played well yesterday, going 18-of-23 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The senior didn’t quite outplay fellow signal-caller Parker Navarro, but he did enough to secure the victory.

Rutgers faces another MAC opponent in Miami (OH) next Saturday. That too likely won’t be an easy win.

If there was a chief reason as to why this tilt was challenging for Rutgers, it was Navarro’s play. The senior was dynamic as both a passer and runner, tallying 332 total yards. It wasn’t enough, but the Bobcats should feel at least decent heading into a home matchup against West Virginia next week.

Bowling Green 26, Lafayette 7

A short lightning delay took my admittedly limited attention away from this contest. Bowling Green, as expected, took care of business in Eddie George’s head coaching debut with the program.

A trip to Cincinnati next week will present a remarkably tougher challenge for the Falcons.

NC State 24, East Carolina 17

Death, taxes and East Carolina giving power-conference programs fits early in the season.

CJ Bailey had a nice game for the Wolfpack, going 24-of-34 for 318 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Turnovers were an issue for the sophomore last season, so he’ll need to firm up his ball security before next week’s game against Virginia.

UCF 17, Jacksonville State 10

The first Thursday of the college football season is one of the most underrated days on the sports calendar. The sheer abundance of early action is exciting, but it’s easy to miss out on interesting games and stories.

This contest qualified as interesting and was one I caught none of. Jacksonville State has quickly become one of the better programs in Conference USA, but UCF should be worried that it was so heavily tested by the Gamecocks. A finish toward the bottom of the Big 12 should be expected for the Knights.

Delaware 35, Delaware State 17

Welcome to the FBS, Delaware.

The Blue Hens should fare okay in Conference USA this season, but I would’ve preferred to see them handle the Hornets with greater ease.