The Dallas Cowboys acquired pass rusher Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers in a trade completed Friday, adding an edge rusher whose ceiling, when healthy, is among the highest at the position in the conference.

Gary, who has produced double-digit sacks in two of the last four seasons when available, has also missed significant time in three of those four years. The Cowboys' evaluation is that the upside of a healthy Gary in a Dallas defensive system outweighs the injury risk — and that the draft capital they sent to Green Bay is appropriate compensation for what is, in effect, a high-ceiling player with an uncertain floor.

Green Bay, which has rebuilt its defensive line over the last three seasons and generated depth at edge rusher through both the draft and development, is not in a position where losing Gary creates a structural problem. The Packers' defensive identity has not been dependent on any single pass rusher. The trade allows them to recoup draft picks for a player whose contract situation was heading toward a complicated renegotiation.

For Dallas, the acquisition fits a clear organizational posture: the Cowboys believe their window is open. The George Pickens franchise tag designation, the Gary addition, the secondary moves in the first days of free agency — these are the investments of a team that has identified 2026 as a competitive opportunity and is allocating resources accordingly.

Gary's fit in Dallas's defensive scheme — the Cowboys run a 4-3 base with significant nickel and dime subpackage deployment — is straightforward. He is a three-down edge rusher whose pass-rush production translates across multiple schemes. The variable, as it always is with Gary, is availability.

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Sources: "Rashan Gary traded to Dallas Cowboys," ESPN | "NFL Free Agency: Cowboys acquire Rashan Gary," NFL.com | "2026 NFL Free Agency Grades," Fox Sports