Packers GM shares heartfelt farewell to Kenny Clark as Micah Parsons trade shocks NFL and reshapes Green Bay’s defensive future
Defensive tackle goes to the Dallas Cowboys.
The NFL is a tough business, but there is an inevitable human side to every move. The Green Bay Packers and their fans are obviously excited to acquire a huge defensive star as Micah Parsons, but the team had to send defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the deal.
While it’s certainly a decision that general manager Brian Gutekunst had to make, the executive sent a heartfelt message to Clark, who was the longest-tenured player on the roster.
“We want to thank Kenny for the incredible impact he made in the locker room, on the field and in the community during his nine seasons in Green Bay,” said Gutekunst. “From the time he arrived in 2016, Kenny established himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the league and in the history of this franchise with his production, durability and leadership. He had the respect of everyone in the organization and epitomized what it meant to be a Green Bay Packer. Kenny will be greatly missed, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”
This is Gutekunst’s team now
Kenny Clark was the last player left from the Ted Thompson era. After the Packers moved on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2023, tackle David Bakhtiari and running back Aaron Jones in 2024, Clark was the only player acquired by the former general manager still on the roster.
Now, every player on the 53-man group has been acquired in some shape or form by Brian Gutekunst, who has been in his current position since 2018.
Drafted at 20 years old, Kenny Clark is 29 now. A three-time Pro Bowler, the defensive tackle played 140 games as a member of the Packers. He had 35 sacks and 417 tackles, with seven forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries, in addition to 12 passes defended.
Clark had signed a three-year extension with the Packers last year, so he’s now under contract with the Cowboys through 2027.
“Kenny Clark, we knew beginning this spring that if we could pick up a top interior defensive lineman, that that was at least something that would improve us right there,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We’re glad to have him.”
Micah Parsons is a Packer, so that obviously will have most of the attention. But moving on from Kenny Clark is a big deal, and Green Bay is respectfully treating that as such—even if his third contract with the team ended up not looking great.
The Packers will have $18.065 million in dead money this year and $17.007 million next year from Clark’s contract, while the Cowboys absorb $43.8 million for three seasons without any guarantees left.
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