The Green Bay Packers have been swapping pass-rushers with the Dallas Cowboys via trades for the last year, so it only makes sense the process might continue on in late-game free agency this summer.
After securing superstar Micah Parsons from the Cowboys in exchange for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark last summer, Green Bay sent edge defender Rashan Gary to Dallas this offseason in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.
Wynston Wilcox of FanSided on Thursday, June 4 suggested the Packers replace Gary, and add depth behind the injured Parsons, by signing three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney. The 12-year NFL veteran appeared in 13 contests for the Cowboys last season, tallying 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
“A veteran free agent is likely the move, and Jadeveon Clowney isn’t a bad option at all,” Wilcox wrote. “When Clowney was paired with an elite pass-rusher in Myles Garrett in Cleveland for two seasons, he compiled 11 sacks in 26 games.”
Micah Parsons Likely to Miss First 4 Games of Season
GettyPass-rusher Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers.
Whether it’s Clowney, Joey Bosa, Cameron Jordan or someone else, the Packers pretty clearly need to add at least one pass-rusher to the mix ahead of the regular season.
Parsons has been honest about his ACL rehabilitation likely keeping him out for perhaps the first month of the campaign (four games).
“The goal has always just been not right now, but longevity with my career here. And I think they want that approach, and we have a pretty strong nine-month rule,” Parsons told reporters last week. “Just through the research and the data, there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from ACL, especially if you had another — other things that had to get fixed up.”
After the Packers dealt Gary their group of edge-rushers became exceedingly thin, particularly behind 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. When healthy, Van Ness has been a reasonable producer for Green Bay’s defense. However, he has just 8.5 total sacks across his first three seasons, which include 43 games played.
Jadeveon Clowney Can Offer Packers Good Value Fit on Short-Term Deal
GettyDefensive end Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
Clowney has never produced 10 sacks in a season, but the former No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina (2014) has tallied between 8.5-9.5 sacks on five different occasions.
Playing at 33 years old in 2026, Clowney would not be a longterm solution in Green Bay. Rather, he would serve as a stopgap mercenary who could start on the edge in Parsons’ absence and potentially rotate in on pass-rush downs after Parsons returns.
Despite Clowney’s quality season in Dallas in 2025, Spotrac projects the defensive end’s market value at just $5.7 million on a one-year contract this season.
The Packers have nearly $26 million in salary cap space as of Saturday and edge-rusher is probably the team’s greatest need after addressing the cornerback position in both April’s draft and free agency before that. Clowney, or a veteran player like him on a short-term value contract, makes too much sense for the Packers to ignore all summer long.
Packers Urged to Replace Rashan Gary With 3-Time Pro Bowler, Ex-Cowboys DE