Micah Parsons entered his fifth NFL season already as a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, but he has extra motivation to be great this year thanks to the Cowboys' surprising decision to trade him to the Packers.
After Parsons spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cowboys, the team he rooted for growing up, Dallas opted against extending him and instead sent him to Green Bay for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark.
While Parsons has fit in well with the Packers so far, he naturally still feels motivated by the Cowboys, who despite all he accomplished in Dallas, felt he was expendable.
"There's nothing more motivating then when you find out that people you love don't truly believe in you and they thought less of you," Parsons told Kaylee Hartung of Amazon Prime Video.
Micah Parsons is beyond motivated 😤 pic.twitter.com/Fj2PARPpK6
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 12, 2025
Through two games in Green Bay, Parsons already feels well on his way to making the Cowboys regret their decision. Parsons recorded one sack and multiple pressures in his debut at Lambeau Field, and has tacked on the pressure once again against the Commanders. While it's hard to imagine Jerry Jones & Co. admitting they made the wrong choice anytime soon, it wouldn't be surprising to see Parsons make them look silly week after week.
Look for Parsons's motivation to come through extra in Week 4, when he'll face the Cowboys for the first time.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Micah Parsons Reveals What's Motivated Him Most Since Cowboys Traded Him to Packers.