CNBC’s Alex Sherman calls out ‘sports experts’ for Micah Parsons trade speculation

While a star player requesting a trade is naturally going to bring up some speculation on where he might end up, CNBC sports reporter Alex Sherman wonders how grounded in reality some of the people speculating on Micah Parsons’ future are.

Parsons, who’s been in a contract dispute with the Cowboys throughout the summer, has officially requested a trade. As Parsons is one of the NFL’s best defensive players, it’s fair to wonder if he might be the missing piece for a team like the San Francisco 49ers or Washington Commanders, who have both narrowly fallen just short of championships in recent years. It’s also fair to wonder if the Philadelphia Eagles might want to bring Parsons aboard, hoping to bolster their chances of repeating.

Sherman, though, doesn’t see a trade to any of those teams happening. Furthermore, while not naming any names, he also questioned whether anyone who sees those teams as realistic trade destinations comprehends how trades work.

“I’m consistently stunned that sports experts don’t seem to understand how trades work,” Sherman said. “You think Jerry Jones is going to trade Micah Parsons to the Commanders? To the 49ers? The Eagles?? Come on.”

I’m consistently stunned that sports experts don’t seem to understand how trades work. You think Jerry Jones is going to trade Micah Parsons to the Commanders? To the 49ers? The Eagles?? Come on.

— Alex Sherman (@sherman4949) August 1, 2025

Per DraftKings, the Cowboys are Parsons’ most likely destination. The Eagles, meanwhile, are tied for second with the New England Patriots while the 49ers are tied for fifth with the Arizona Cardinals.

Howie Roseman swooping in to steal Micah Parsons from the Cowboys would be absolutely diabolical man 🤣 pic.twitter.com/kWcjbcxMlG

— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) August 1, 2025

The Eagles and Commanders are both NFC East rivals and teams the Cowboys are trying to chase down. Losing Parsons would make that tougher, no matter where he ends up. Losing Parsons to one of those teams would make the challenge even greater. Besides, while it wasn’t a trade, seeing what happened to the New York Giants in 2024 after they lost Saquon Barkley to the Eagles would make anyone hesitant to trade a star player to a division rival.

The 49ers, meanwhile, are similar to the Cowboys in that they’re coming off a bad year, mostly due to injuries. That said, they ended Dallas’ season in both 2021 and 2022. The Cowboys also defeated the Cowboys in the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons. So, while not a division rival, trading Parsons to the 49ers would be strengthening a team the Cowboys are trying to chase down.

So, while we can’t blame anyone, particularly fans of those teams, for thinking about Parsons, Sherman has a point.