Raiders heavily linked to Cowboys' Micah Parsons after Penn State stars trade request

Jon Conahan

Raiders heavily linked to Cowboys' Micah Parsons after Penn State stars trade request image

Following the Las Vegas Raiders' decision to move on from Christian Wilkins, a move that shocked the NFL for many reasons, it's possible they could react by trading for former Penn State star Micah Parsons, who requested a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. 

The Raiders have the most cap space in the NFL for the 2026 offseason, so signing Parsons to a long-term extension could be something the team is interested in. 

When searching for the top landing spots in potential trades, Yahoo Sports recently proposed that idea.

MORE: Former Penn State star Micah Parsons calls out Cowboys, Jerry Jones amid trade request

The Raiders currently have the most salary cap space in the NFL for 2026 (big contracts often don't have a huge salary cap hit in the first year), according to Spotrac. They're projected to be $114 million under the cap. It would be a challenge for the Raiders to pay Maxx Crosby and Parsons, but what a pass rushing duo that would be. 

“They were also set to pay Crosby and Christian Wilkins before everything went sideways with Wilkins and he was cut. The Raiders might also make a big move, considering they just hired head coach Pete Carroll, who will turn 74 in September, traded for 34-year-old quarterback Geno Smith and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall draft pick. The moves indicate they want to win sooner rather than later,” Frank Schwab wrote.

With Pete Carroll taking over in Las Vegas, the team will be looking to improve defensively. 

On paper, the Cowboys are a better team, but if Parsons is simply looking for money, he could be intrigued by playing for the Raiders. Las Vegas is a great city, and with excellent fans, it'd be like playing for the same type of organization the Cowboys are, in some sense.

Jon Conahan

Jon Conahan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A 2022 Penn State University graduate who majored in journalism, he was also a member of the school's D1 baseball team. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Heavy and other outlets. Jon makes home in North Jersey, but also resides in Cape Coral, Florida, for parts of the year. He’s an avid fan of the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins and Milwaukee Bucks.