Cowboys acquire Kenny Clark in Micah Parsons trade with Green Bay
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 25: Kenny Clark #97 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after defeating the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
DALLAS - Jerry Jones traded one of the NFL’s greatest defensive players to the Green Bay Packers. In return, the Cowboys get the Packers' next two first-round draft picks and Kenny Clark.
Who is Kenny Clark?
Clark is a defensive tackle. The soon-to-be 30-year-old played for UCLA before being drafted at No. 27 overall by the Packers in 2016. He’s entering his tenth season in the NFL.
He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, with his most recent appearance being in 2023. That same year, he helped the Packers rout the Cowboys, 48 to 32, in Dallas' last playoff game at AT&T Stadium.
He has been durable, playing in all 17 regular-season games for Green Bay in each of the last three years. Last year, he injured his toe in the first week but played on, undergoing surgery for it this January.
Clark is generally considered to be a good interior lineman and a run stopper, but is obviously not a player of Parsons’ caliber.
At the same time, the Cowboys were the fourth-worst at stopping the run last season.
Micah Parsons traded to the Green Bay Packers
The Dallas Cowboys have traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
What they're saying:
During Thursday night’s news conference following the trade, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys organization insisted that Clark will make the team’s defense better..
"Our judgment, this gives us a better chance to be a better team than we have been the last few years since Micah’s been here," Jones said. "Not any negative on Micah, but we’re trying to get better, we’re trying to stop the run and stay in the hunt."
"Kenny Clark was a big part of this, and that was a part of winning right now," Stephen Jones said. "And we feel like when you look at the frustration, we hadn’t been able to win the big game in the playoffs. And we think it is a direct connection to not being able to stop the run. And we think Kenny Clark can be a big piece to that."
Clark arrived at The Star in Frisco on Friday for his first Dallas practice. He was wearing his No. 96 jersey as he met his new teammates.
"This trade wouldn't get done unless I was in it. And that made me feel wonderful right there. And I'm happy to be here," he said.
Kenny Clark Stats
According to NFL.com, Clark, who wore #97 in Green Bay, is 29 years old and weighs in at 6 feet 3 inches tall and 314 pounds.
Last season, he had 31 total tackles with one sack and two fumble recoveries, according to NFL.com.
Throughout his career, he’s accumulated 378 total tackles with 35 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 8 fumble recoveries.
So far in the preseason, he’s had two tackles.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the FOX 4 Sports team, NFL.com, and comments that Jerry and Stephen Jones made during Thursday's news conference.