Cowboys initiated Micah Parsons trade talks with AFC team before deal with Packers, Jerry Jones says

Micah Parsons is already wreaking havoc for the Green Bay Packers, but how close was he to doing that in a New York Jets uniform? According to Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys reached out to the Jets as they mulled dealing the star edge rusher amid his contentious contract staredown.

In an interview with 880 ESPN New York, Jones was asked whether the Jets or Giants reached out to the Cowboys about Parsons. Jones said he actually made first contact with one of them and quickly revealed that it was the Jets.

"There was communication, and I'm not going to go into detail, with one of those teams," Jones said. "As it would turn out, I initiated that with one of those teams. You can guess that it was not the Giants."

Jones has been clear that he did not want to deal Parsons within the NFC East -- the Philadelphia Eagles offered a substantial package for Parsons, according to multiple reports -- so he was not interested in negotiating with the Giants. The Jets, though, were a consideration, but the phone call apparently didn't last too long. 

Jones said the Jets balked at the high asking price for Parsons and said they "didn't have the resources to entertain conversations."

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When asked whether Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was part of Jones' desired return, the Cowboys' owner and general manager confirmed he was looking for an elite run-stopper.

"A prerequisite to the entire trade was that we had to have a really significant, dominant inside defensive player," Jones said. "It was our goal to address the run. … We really wanted to bolster up there."

Ultimately, Williams remained on the Jets and Parsons was sent to the Packers. Jones got the run-stuffing interior defensive lineman he desired in the form of Kenny Clark, in addition to a pair of first-round picks.

When word got out that Parsons was on the trade block, the list of teams hoping to acquire him was quite long. While the Eagles put forth an offer for Parsons, Jones said Dallas didn't bother submitting a counter.

Through two games with the Packers, Parsons has justified the high price Green Bay paid for his services. Parsons has 1.5 sacks and one tackle for loss, despite nursing a lower-back injury, and has been a constant source of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. After the Packers' win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, fans at Lambeau Field had a message of gratitude for Jones.