Packers agree to trade DE Rashan Gary to Cowboys for 2027 Day 3 pick: Sources

The Green Bay Packers agreed to trade defensive end Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 Day 3 pick, league sources told The Athletic. 

The pick from Dallas is a fourth-rounder in 2027, according to a team source.

Gary, 28, was a 2019 first-round pick and the Packers’ longest-tenured player. He signed a four-year, $96 million contract during the 2023 season and had two seasons remaining on that deal. The move would free up about $11 million in cap space for the Packers this year, according to Over the Cap, as Gary’s $28 million cap number was the second-highest on the team behind quarterback Jordan Love.

The Packers are now more likely to address their defensive line, both the interior and edge, in free agency and/or the draft after trading starting defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts and now dealing Gary to the Cowboys.

In Weeks 10 through 18 last season, Gary had no sacks while 325 other players did. He didn’t register a tackle for loss in that span while 507 different players did. As the 13th-highest-paid edge rusher in the league, according to OTC, Gary also ranked 39th in pressure percentage during that period among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps, per TruMedia. In stark contrast, Gary ranked fifth in the NFL through eight weeks with 7.5 sacks and tied for 11th with seven tackles for loss during that span before his production disappeared. He wasn’t on the injury report all season, either.

“Sixty pressures, 7.5 sacks, that’s tough to replace,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Gary at last month’s NFL combine. “So he’s on our roster, and I expect him to play at that level or higher if he’s back next year, and we’ll see how that goes.”

Ultimately, the Packers don’t believe Gary’s play was worth his price, even after the likes of Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur and former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley defended Gary last season and this offseason. LaFleur even said Gary was never a high snap-count guy, a peculiar justification for someone making $24 million per year.

Gary announced Friday on social media that his tenure in Green Bay was over, though he deleted the post soon after.

What it means for Dallas

It’s no surprise that the Cowboys needed pass-rushing help this offseason. They made a serious run at Maxx Crosby. They just weren’t willing to part with two first-round picks. Making this move certainly helps up front, getting a player who can help at outside linebacker or defensive end.

Gary was expected to have a big year last season after the Packers traded for Micah Parsons. But that didn’t happen. According to Pro Football Focus, Gary received his worst defensive grade of the previous five seasons. From the Cowboys’ perspective, though, they didn’t give up much. Dallas has some familiarity with Gary in that new defensive coordinator Christian Parker was in Green Bay as a defensive quality control coach in 2019-2020. He obviously liked the idea of pairing Gary back up with defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

There’s plenty of work still left to do to improve a defense that was arguably the worst in franchise history in 2025, but this is a notable start. — Machota

This story will be updated.