When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed T.J. Watt to a three-year, $123 million extension in July, his $41 million new money average made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Recently, new Green Bay Packers EDGE Micah Parsons signing a four-year, $188 million deal upon being acquired by the Cowboys, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Parsons’ $47 million per year sets a new high bar for non-quarterbacks across the league.
According to rumors this summer, Parsons’ extension was likely to surpass Watt’s. In all likelihood, so will Detroit Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson’s impending contract. Talks fell through with Dallas, and Parsons gets the money he wants with the Packers. He also beats Watt to be the highest-paid non-quarterback by $6 million a season.
Parsons’ deal also includes $136 million guaranteed.
It’s a huge deal, but Parsons has been one of the best pass rushers since Dallas drafted him in 2021. He’s surpassed double-digit sacks every season. He’s also coming off a 12-sack campaign, despite playing in just 13 games for the Cowboys last season. He has 52.5 career sacks and has been a first-team All-Pro twice (in 2021 and 2022), and a second-team All-Pro in 2023.
Now that he’s in Green Bay, Parsons will play the Steelers this season. He will line up on the opposite defense of the player whose contract he surpassed. There will be a lot of money on the field when Parsons and the Packers come to Acrisure Stadium in Week 8 for a Sunday Night Football game.
Parsons immediately becomes the highest-paid member of the Packers, surpassing Jordan Love. He joins a defense that includes Xavier McKinney in the secondary and Rashan Gary up front. Parsons gives the Packers one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league.
With Parsons’ deal being significantly more than Watt’s, it’ll be interesting to see just how much EDGE salaries go up across the league in the coming years. Although the Steelers waited to sign Watt, allowing Maxx Crosby and later Myles Garrett to set the market first, the deal could become a bargain in even a year’s time.
Parsons also has the benefit of age, as he’s just 26 years old. Watt, meanwhile, was 30 when he signed his new extension. His youth and production over his first four seasons made Parsons a player that Green Bay had no problem paying. This bold trade and extension will drastically reset the market.
