It’s crazy to think about: there could have been a world where Micah Parsons was a Carolina Panther. While the Atlanta Falcons were never truly serious players for the four-time Pro Bowler, their division rivals were—so if you think Terry Fonentot missed an opportunity, Dan Morgan did just as much.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Tuesday that Carolina inquired about the superstar pass-rusher but the team refused to include star defensive tackle Derrick Brown in negotiations with Dallas. The Cowboys subsequently sent the former Penn State star to Green Bay in exchange for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks, where he signed a four-year $188 million extension.
The Dirty Birds could have used an established superstar in their defensive line room in order to rewrite the narrative about their defensive front. But if Jerry Jones wanted Derrick Brown from the Panthers, he almost certainly would have wanted one of Atlanta’s first-round rookies in Jalon Walker or James Pearce Jr—or potentially David Onyemata.
Panthers’ Micah Parsons rumor cements he was never ending up in Atlanta
Terry Fontenot already shipped off the team’s 2026 first-rounder to move up for Pearce Jr, so there’s no chance they would have parted with him. Part of the intrigue of Parsons for the Falcons was to pair the 26-year-old superstar up with the two rookies, but that was never realistic. If America’s Team was chasing interior defensive line help, Onyemata’s down season in 2024 was not that appealing—especially since he’ll turn 33 in November.
The Panthers drafted two EDGE rushers of their own in the 2025 NFL Draft in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, but pass-rush help remains one of the biggest needs on the roster. They passed on both Pearce and Walker—who they were heavily linked to—to draft Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick to help Bryce Young.
The Panthers also finished just one sack ahead of the Falcons in 2024, which makes Parsons heading to the NFC North a relief for Atlanta, especially since Kaleb McGary is out for the season and they’d have to face Parsons twice a year.
For the Dirty Birds, it’s a reminder of how thin the margin for acquiring elite talent can be. Dallas brass was never trading a superstar in his prime for less than what they got, so it was a nice pipe dream.
The attention will now focus on developing those young pass-rushers in Pearce, Walker, and Arnold Ebiketie—but maybe Atlanta can bring in a different star defender for Jeff Ulbrich’s defense in the coming months.