The Green Bay Packers' trade for Micah Parsons seemingly came out of nowhere. A few days of wild speculation, and then, bang, he's headed to Green Bay.
In reality, the Packers were quietly at work trying to make a big-time swing for a pass-rusher. Having previously missed out on Khalil Mack in 2018, to the Chicago Bears of all teams, GM Brian Gutekunst stayed ahead of the game this offseason. The Packers ultimately sent two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in the Parsons deal, but it could've gone so differently.
Parsons wasn't the only, or first, All-Pro pass-rusher the Packers tried to acquire this summer.
Packers reportedly tried to trade for Trey Hendrickson before making Micah Parsons deal
Before trading for Parsons, the Packers reportedly made a move for Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, who is the defending NFL sack champion. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Packers were one of the teams that "called and engaged the most" about a Hendrickson trade. Rapoport noted that the Packers even had an offer on the table.
Per Rapoport, Kenny Clark's name came up in those conversations, too, but the Packers were unwilling to trade him at the time.
"In fact, standout defensive tackle Kenny Clark would also have been involved in the trade had the two sides come to an agreement, though Green Bay was not willing to part with him at that point in the process," Rapoport writes.
"Based on Clark's value to Green Bay -- and based on Cincy driving a hard bargain due to how they never really wanted to trade Hendrickson -- the deal never happened," he added.
Rapoport noted that Cincinnati wanted a "standout player" and a mid-round pick.
Perhaps the Packers could've got a deal over the line for a fourth-rounder plus Clark? We may never know. While that's clearly a far more affordable price than the two first-rounders Green Bay sent to Dallas, there's a reason for that.
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Hendrickson is the NFL sack champion and has made an incredible 35 sacks over the past two seasons. However, he also turns 31 in December. Parsons is just 26 with the best years of his career still ahead of him.
The Packers paid a steeper price and eventually changed their stance on trading Clark, but doing so allowed them to land a better player who is almost five years younger.
It's clear that while Gutekunst publicly praised Green Bay's pass rush, he was quietly scheming to add an all-world talent to the group. And why not? Players like Hendrickson and Parsons don't become available often.
Gutekunst made it happen, and Parsons is a franchise-changing addition. It worked out for the best, but it's fascinating to hear just how strongly the Packers pushed to land Hendrickson.