FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have traded Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, sources told ESPN.

The Cowboys will receive defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks in return, sources told ESPN.

Parsons agreed to four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers that includes $120 million fully guaranteed at signing, which makes him the highest-paid non quarterback in NFL history.

Earlier Thursday, ESPN reported the Cowboys were willing to listen to trade offers for the four-time Pro Bowler, and talks escalated quickly.

The trade brings a close to what at one time appeared to be a career-long relationship between the Cowboys and Parsons.

Before the 2021 draft, Parson said his dream was to play for the Cowboys and after a trade down, Dallas took him with the No. 12 overall selection. As late as last December, Parsons told ESPN he wanted his name to be remembered like Hall of Famers Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, whose jersey numbers have never been worn again.

But those feelings ended this season during an acrimonious negotiation on a contract extension that was never finalized and a trade request that was made on Aug. 1. Jones said the Cowboys would not trade Parsons, but the package in return was evidently worthy of a deal.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has said in the past that rarely, if ever, does he think a team is just one player away. He reiterated that on Aug. 27, when he asked if a player like Parsons could put his team over the hump.

Jones could hope the trade of Parsons has a similar effect as the 1989 trade of running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings that the Cowboys used to build their rosters that won three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

Walker was 27 at the time of the trade. Parsons is 26.

In March, Parsons set up a meeting with owner and general manager Jerry Jones that he wrote in his trade request was to discuss leadership only to have Jones begin talking about a contract. Jones disputed that assertion and said the two came to an agreement on the length, total money and guaranteed money on an extension.

When the Cowboys attempted to talk to Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, it was met with resistance and neither side presented an offer to the other. On numerous occasions Jones put the blame on the lack of a deal on Mulugheta.

Parsons attended the mandatory June minicamp and was at training camp, going through a hold-in. He never practiced but did go through some walkthroughs and meetings. He claimed in June and again at the start of training camp that he was suffering from back tightness.

He had at least two MRIs, and coach Brian Schottenheimer said the last one, which came Aug. 22 before the final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, came back clean. On Aug. 26, Schottenheimer said Parsons has been cleared medically by the team staff.

Parsons was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. The only other Cowboys to start their careers with four selections to the NFL’s all-star game are Zack Martin and Hall of Famers Smith and Mel Renfro. He was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times.

He and Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only two players to record at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. His 52.5 sacks are fifth-most in a player’s first four seasons.

But now he is gone, joining the Packers, leaving the Cowboys with a gaping hole on defense.

The Cowboys have Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku, this year’s second-round pick, and James Houston remaining as pass rushers on their 53-man roster. They have combined for 73 sacks in their careers.

While Parsons has never had fewer than 12 sacks in any of his first four seasons, the Packers haven’t had a player reach double-digit sacks since Parsons entered the league in 2021.

Green Bay’s last double-digit sack season from an individual player came from Za’Darius Smith, who had 12.5 in 2020. Rashan Gary, the Packers’ first-round pick in 2019, led them with 7.5 sacks last season. Gary has never had more than 9.5 sacks in his career.

Before the trade, the Packers’ top edge players were Gary, 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness (who has just 7 sacks in two seasons) and 2022 fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare (who has 9.5 career sacks).

Gutekunst did not sign an edge player in free agency, and he waited until the fourth round of the draft to add to the position. He used the 124th overall pick on Texas defensive end Barryn Sorrell, but it appears the knee injury Sorrell suffered during the preseason will keep him out to start the season.

The biggest change the Packers made to their pass-rushing unit before this trade was to switch defensive line coaches this offseason. Coach Matt LaFleur replaced Jason Rebrovich with former Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Convington.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.