Sources: Packers trading DL Gary to Cowboys

FRISCO, Texas -- Unable to land Maxx Crosby in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders last week, the Dallas Cowboys acquired pass rusher Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers for a late-round pick in 2027, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.

It is a fourth-round pick going back to the Packers, according to NFL Network

Last Friday, a farewell message had been posted to Gary's Instagram account but then quickly deleted, and a source claimed that Gary's account had been hacked. Since then, the Cowboys and Packers were able to agree upon a trade.

Unless the Cowboys rework his contract, Gary is set to make $18 million this year off a four-year, $96 million deal he signed in 2023. He is currently signed through 2027. The move will clear nearly $11 million in salary cap space for the Packers this season.

The Cowboys were in deep talks with the Raiders in a trade for Crosby, who was eventually dealt to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. Sources told ESPN the Cowboys offered the Raiders the 12th overall pick in 2026, a second-round pick in 2027 and a veteran player.

Gary is the second Packers defensive lineman the Cowboys have added in a trade in the past year. They received Kenny Clark and two first-round picks from the Packers for Micah Parsons a week before last season started.

The addition of Gary does not take the Cowboys out of the pass-rushing market in free agency, albeit likely at a lower level now, or the draft. Last year's sack leader, Jadeveon Clowney, who had 8.5 sacks, is set to be a free agent, and there are questions as to how he would fit into the scheme of new coordinator Christian Parker.

The Cowboys are expected to be without last year's second-rounder, Donovan Ezeiruaku, for most of the offseason program because of hip surgery.

For his career, Gary recorded 46.5 career sacks, which ranks No. 6 in Green Bay history since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

The addition of Parsons shortly before last season was supposed to free up Gary for more one-on-one pass-rushing opportunities, and he got off to a fast start with 7.5 sacks in the first seven games of the season. But he never got another one in the second half of the year despite playing in every game except for the regular-season finale when coach Matt LaFleur rested several starters for the playoffs.

"I thought he started out really, really strong," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason. "He obviously had a lot of production early. I think he ended up with sixty-some pressures, 7.5 sacks. That's pretty good production in the National Football League. I did think towards the end of the year, he wasn't as productive as he was the beginning."

Despite playing in all but one game last season, he was on the field for only 58.3% of the defensive snaps. That wasn't an anomaly. Although he played in every game in both 2023 and 2024, he played only 52.8% and 58.6% of the defensive snaps, respectively.

"He's never been a huge snap count guy, if you look at the course of his career," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said last season.

With Parsons expected to miss the first month of the season while he recovers from his torn ACL, Gary's trade leaves the Packers with some depth issues at defensive end. The Packers have another free agent at his position, Kingsley Enagbare.

Without Parsons or Gary, it means new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will open this coming season with two new starting defensive ends.