Rashan Gary Trade to Dallas Cowboys: Green Bay Ships Pro Bowl Edge Rusher for 2027 Fourth-Round Pick
The Dallas Cowboys struck their second major trade with the Green Bay Packers in as many years on Monday, March 9, acquiring edge rusher Rashan Gary hours before the NFL free agency legal tampering window opened. The deal ends Gary's seven-year run in Wisconsin and gives Dallas a proven pass rusher to anchor a defense that desperately needed help off the edge.
Rashan Gary Trade Details: 2027 Fourth-Round Pick Sends Edge Rusher to Dallas Cowboys
NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero confirmed the Cowboys are expected to acquire former first-round pick Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
The Packers will take on $17 million in dead money but clear approximately $11 million in cap space, which they needed because they were only $9.7 million under the cap prior to the trade.
Unless the Cowboys rework his contract, Gary is set to make $18 million in 2026 off a four-year, $96 million deal he signed in 2023. He is currently signed through 2027 at a base salary of $21 million that carries no guarantees.
Why Dallas Settled for Rashan Gary After Failing to Land Maxx Crosby
Unable to land Maxx Crosby in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders last week, the Cowboys acquired Gary from the Packers for a late-round pick. Sources told ESPN the Cowboys offered the Raiders the 12th overall pick in 2026, a second-round pick in 2027, and a veteran player — a package the Raiders ultimately rejected in favor of the two first-rounders offered by Baltimore.
Dallas was ready to surrender a first and second-round pick for Crosby, but Green Bay had a much lower asking price for Gary. The pricetag of a fourth-round pick, even a year off, may seem a little high given that releasing Gary was discussed — but he is a good player at a premium position and fills a need without Dallas having to enter a bidding war in free agency.
Rashan Gary Stats and Career Numbers With the Green Bay Packers
Gary, 28, spent all seven years of his NFL career in Green Bay, earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2024, and tallied 46.5 career sacks. In 2025, Gary started 15 games and generated 7.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
Gary led the NFL with 7.5 sacks through the first seven games of the 2025 season following the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade that brought Parsons to Green Bay, but never recorded another sack in the second half of the year despite playing in every game.
The Rashan Gary Instagram Drama: Hacked or Already Traded?
Late last week, a farewell message had been posted to Gary's Instagram account but then quickly deleted, and a source claimed that Gary's account had been hacked. Few people believed the hacking explanation, as the initial post seemed consistent with a player who had been told he was on his way out.
A cynical person might believe that was nonsense because trade talks were ongoing. The Instagram post was eventually confirmed to be a premature farewell, with the trade finalizing days later on March 9.
Rashan Gary Reunites With Kenny Clark and New Cowboys Defensive Coordinator
The Cowboys add a player who new defensive coordinator Christian Parker knows well, having been on the Packers staff during Gary's first two seasons in Wisconsin. It is also a reunion for Gary and defensive tackle Kenny Clark in Dallas — Clark was part of the Micah Parsons trade that sent him to the Cowboys from Green Bay a year ago.
Gary is the second Packers defensive lineman the Cowboys have added in a trade in the past year. They received Kenny Clark and two first-round picks from the Packers for Micah Parsons just before last season started — making this the second consecutive offseason Dallas and Green Bay have executed a significant defensive lineman swap.
The addition of Gary does not take the Cowboys entirely out of the pass-rushing market in free agency or the draft. Dallas still has significant needs on the edge, with Donovan Ezeiruaku expected to miss most of the offseason program due to hip surgery.
