To make a borderline unprecedented trade, the Green Bay Packers had to make a borderline unprecedented sacrifice. The Packers landed Micah Parsons in a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Cowboys, giving up Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks in the process.
But make no mistake about it: The Micah Parsons trade is going to cost the Packers more than just Kenny Clark and draft picks.
There will be other eventual roster casualties for the Packers, sacrifices that will have to be made at the expense of Parsons's $47 million average annual salary. The question is, who?
Key players the Packers may not be able to retain after Micah Parsons trade
1. Rasheed Walker, offensive tackle
Let's start with the low-hanging fruit, because there are already conversations going on about who is going to be the Packers' left tackle right now. Jordan Morgan has given the Packers at least something to think about when it comes to replacing Rasheed Walker at left tackle, and certainly, he'll be ready to go after this season if he doesn't end up starting in 2025.
Walker is one of a number of members of the 2022 NFL Draft class the Packers are likely to move on from after this season. Heck, they might even be able to trade him at some point during the year and recoup some draft assets for Brian Gutekunst's war chest.
2. Christian Watson, wide receiver
It has already felt like the writing is on the wall for Christian Watson. As in, it has felt like he was going to finish out his rookie deal with the team and be on his way out the door shortly after this season.
Watson has shown promise in the past, but he hasn't developed into the true WR1 the Packers thought he could be after flashes during his rookie year, and some in the years following. Watson hasn't been available nearly enough, missing eight games in 2023 and another pair of games last year before suffering a torn ACL in Week 18.
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While his big-play ability is impressive, this is going to be a crucial season for Watson in Green Bay once he returns to the lineup.
It almost feels like a guarantee that he's going to have a great year and completely price himself out of Green Bay's range. Watson could wind up being one of the most coveted players in free agency if he can bounce back and put together a strong campaign.
3. Romeo Doubs, wide receiver
Romeo Doubs is in the same exact boat as Christian Watson, though the rumors about him possibly being traded have gotten even louder and stronger. Matt LaFleur was asked about the Doubs trade rumors by Kay Adams, and he seemed to take exception to it.
The Packers are obviously exceptionally deep at wide receiver, so it's understandable that a guy entering his contract year with some prior friction with the team would be subject to those rumors. But the Packers have held onto Doubs, and he'll be expected to be a key contributor again this season.
As a secondary weapon, Doubs can still go out on the open market and probably make upwards of $15 million per season when he hits free agency, maybe even more if there's a bidding war for his services.
4. Quay Walker, linebacker
The Packers already declined Quay Walker's fifth-year option for the 2026 season, so he's slated to hit free agency. Entering his fourth NFL season, Walker's career in the NFL so far has been a mixed bag. The Packers obviously changed defensive schemes last year, hoping that Walker would be one of the players who would benefit from getting Jeff Hafley calling the shots.
To his credit, even with seven missed games over the last two seasons combined, Walker has managed to average well over 100 tackles per season with 21 total tackles for loss. He had a career-high nine TFLs last year under Hafley.
Walker is going to be hitting the linebacker market at a great time. The going rate for players at his age and with his level of production is a minimum of $15 million per season. We saw all of Nick Bolton, Jamien Sherwood, and Zack Baun get at least that much this offseason. In Baun's case, it was $17 million in average annual value.
Walker is going to probably exceed those numbers as the NFL salary cap increases.
5. Jayden Reed, wide receiver
Drafting well is painful, isn't it?
The Packers have such a talented group of skill players offensively, but they are going to have to keep on drafting well. They won't be able to keep everyone around. Entering his third season already, Reed has 17 career touchdowns and is averaging 13.6 yards per touch for the Packers.
This one is a couple of years down the line, because the Packers still have Reed under contract for two more seasons. But he's going to want a new deal after this year, and with Green Bay having so much of the cap committed to other players already, Reed could end up being sacrificed.
If he has another big year in 2025, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he would ask for a new deal next offseason or demand a trade.