Sports

Cowboys score small win on Rashan Gary trade after Packers overpay

The Landry Hat · Jul 21, 2026 11:00 · 3 min read

Cowboys score small win on Rashan Gary trade after Packers overpay — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys look better for trading for Rashan Gary after the Green Bay Packers overpaid to extend a defensive lineman.

The Dallas Cowboys had one objective this offseason: improve one of the worst defenses in franchise history. While new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and first-round pick Caleb Downs will shape the unit's future, the trade for Rashan Gary could pay massive dividends as Parker works to engineer a turnaround in Year 1.

Cowboys fans have been waiting to see what the Green Bay Packers do with the savings created by trading Gary. Earlier in the offseason, they gave oft-injured receiver Christian Watson a massive payday, and they've just finalized what can only be described as an overpay for one of Micah Parsons' running mates.

The Packers have signed defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt to a three-year, $57 million extension that includes a $20 million signing bonus.

On one hand, the Packers made an ascending player the 18th-highest-paid defensive tackle. On the other, they gave Wyatt, a player who's never had more than 11 quarterback hits in a season, $19 million per year. That's a lot of money that his production does not justify.

Consider this a feather, albeit a small one, in Jerry Jones' cap.

Packers overpay Devonte Wyatt after trading Rashan Gary to the Cowboys

Interior defenders age better than most positions, but it's fair to wonder how much growing or ascending Wyatt has left after turning 28 in March.

He's technically in his prime, and there's no telling how he'll rebound from a fractured fibula and torn ligaments in his ankle suffered last November. He also missed two games earlier in the season with a knee injury, and an ankle injury cost him three contests in 2024, meaning he's missed 10 games over the last two years.

A lot is riding on Wyatt staying healthy, and he's had a concerning number of lower leg injuries just four years into his career. It's fair to wonder if durability will be a lingering issue as he gets older.

The Packers shouldn't be eviscerated for extending Wyatt. He's got limitations against the run, but he can collapse a pocket from the interior. The concern is that injuries have repeatedly impeded his development, making Green Bay's investment a calculated gamble. Some would argue it's an overpay.

The Cowboys' Rashan Gary trade is quietly aging very well

The Cowboys know all too well the risk that comes with paying players coming off major injuries.

Gary, though, has missed just one game since 2023, and he'll make $16 million in 2026 and '27 (less than Wyatt) after agreeing to a revised contract with Dallas. He was previously earning $24 million per year with Green Bay.

Nobody would mistake Gary for Micah Parsons as a pass rusher, but he's a monster against the run and has averaged 7.9 sacks and 56.0 pressures over the last five seasons, per Pro Football Focus. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Initial reaction to the Gary trade was lukewarm, largely because rumors indicated the Packers were prepared to release him. Whether those rumors had validity or not, Dallas deserves credit for making the trade instead of risking a bidding war in free agency.

While Gary is a polarizing player, plenty of teams would have made a run at him had he become available. Did the Cowboys overpay by sending a fourth-round pick to Green Bay? Maybe, but Gary also took a pay cut to facilitate the trade. He's now making a fraction of his previous salary, making the compensation easier to justify. That looks even better now that Wyatt is making $19 million per year.

Gary's performance will ultimately determine who won the trade, but the early returns have been encouraging, as coaches and teammates have lauded his leadership and attention to detail, both of which will rub off on Dallas' young defense.

It will be fascinating to watch how Wyatt's extension ages. Fair or not, he and Gary will now be judged against one another as the Packers and Cowboys each try to prove they made the right decision.