Emmitt Smith Views Micah Parsons Trade as Potential Breaking Point for Cowboys Fans

Emmitt Smith thinks the Dallas Cowboys could lose fans if they don't end up making the most out of the Micah Parsons trade.

Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith.Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith believes the franchise is at a crossroads with its fan base because of the Micah Parsons trade with the Green Bay Packers.

Smith was a guest on the Ross Tucker Podcast and said he thinks it is crucial for the Cowboys to maximize the return they received in the Parsons deal. Of course, that return was two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark.

If the Cowboys fail to do so, Smith is worried that Dallas may lose fans "for a lifetime."

"If we don't (capitalize on the Parsons trade), then I believe the Dallas Cowboys and the family could be losing fans for a lifetime because those fans will feel like they have been taken advantage of and no one has really paid attention to them," Smith said.

"And that's when you will see an effect of sales in tickets, suites, merchandising going down, and that's the biggest way impact a person's pocket, is through their wallet," the Cowboys legend added.

“If we don't, then I believe the Dallas Cowboys and the family could be losing fans for a lifetime.”@EmmittSmith22 strongly feels that Dallas NEEDS to capitalize on the return from the Micah Parsons trade: pic.twitter.com/b2N8GW5Nf9

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) June 10, 2026

There is no question that the Parsons trade will always be a stain on the Cowboys if they don't maximize the assets acquired. That said, it's hard to agree with Smith that Cowboys fans will stop supporting the team in any capacity.

After all, this is a fan base that is used to big mistakes and chances are that, even though this one could prove to be the biggest in team history, fans will be able to shake it off as they have done with other Cowboys blunders in the past.

Smith is greatly underestimating how resilient fans are.

The early returns on the Parsons trade

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons. | Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The jury is still out on just how good or bad this trade has been for the Cowboys, but we can honestly say the early returns haven't been as bad for Dallas as we expected.

The Packers saw Parsons suffer a torn ACL late in the 2025 season, so Green Bay didn't have him for their one-and-done postseason trip.

Now, the superstar linebacker expects to start the 2026 season on the PUP list, which means Parsons will miss at least the first four games, which also means Parsons will have missed a total of at least eight of a possible 22 games (including playoffs) with the Packers in a season-plus.

As for the Cowboys, they didn't make the postseason in 2025, but we suspect Parsons wouldn't have been able to change that given all of the issues Dallas had in what was one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

Clark is the only piece in the Parsons deal that has taken the field for Dallas so far. The veteran was OK but not great in his first year, but there's hope he'll be better in 2026 as he returns to nose tackle, his natural position.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Cowboys traded back from the No. 20 pick they received from the Packers and netted the No. 23 pick and two fourth-round picks in that deal.

Ultimately, Dallas used those picks on edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, cornerback Devin Moore and defensive lineman LT Overton to aid in the rebuild of their defense.

The second first-round pick the Cowboys received from Green Bay comes in 2027. However, the higher of Dallas' two first-round selections next year will go to the New York Jets because of the Quinnen Williams trade, so the Packers pick could go to New York.

That said, having that second first-round pick put the Cowboys in position to feel comfortable about a trade for Williams, who played well last season and should be a massive difference-maker upfront in his second campaign with the team.

There are clearly a lot of moving parts when it comes to making a final ruling on the Parsons trade, so we may not know who truly won the deal for a few more years.