Bill Barnwell sat down recently to play a game that NFL fans love to hate: assigning trade values to stars who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere. The ESPN insider ran the hypothetical numbers on the Green Bay Packers roster, and the results for Jordan Love and Micah Parsons tell two very different stories about what the market thinks of them.
For Love, the price tag is steep. Barnwell figures teams would need to cough up three first-round draft picks to land the Packers quarterback. That’s a massive number, but it makes sense when you look at what Love actually does on the field.
“Love continues to play better than people think, although the end result has continued to be frustratingly short playoff runs,” Barnwell wrote. “He’s a successful playmaker who doesn’t take many sacks, and while his picks are truly egregious as a result, his interception rate over the past three years is better than league average.”
Here’s the thing about Love’s interceptions. When they happen, they’re ugly. But they don’t happen as often as you’d think. His interception rate is actually above league average over the last three seasons. And he’s done that without a reliable top wideout — Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are solid, but nobody’s mistaking them for Justin Jefferson or Tyreek Hill.
Parsons, on the other hand, would cost two first-round picks plus additional assets. That’s a full round cheaper than Love. The reason is obvious: Parsons tore his ACL last season, and no team is going to bet the farm on a pass rusher coming off that kind of injury without some hesitation.
“I’m sure there might be a team or two worried about Parsons’ short-term impact after he tore an ACL last season,” Barnwell said, “but he was wildly productive during his abbreviated debut with Green Bay — and he’s still only 27.”
Parsons got traded to the Packers midseason last year and immediately looked like the same game-wrecking force he was in Dallas. The sample was small, but the impact was loud. If he comes back at full strength, that trade value only goes up.
Neither player is actually on the block. Barnwell’s exercise was exactly what it looked like: a thought experiment. But it’s a useful one for understanding how the league views these two guys. Love is a top-tier quarterback who doesn’t get the national respect he deserves. Parsons is an elite defender with an injury question mark that could either depress his value or turn into a massive bargain.
The Packers open the 2026 season on September 13 against the Minnesota Vikings. By then, we should have a much better idea of where both players stand.
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