Sept. 28, 2025, 6:01 AM EDTBy Andrew GreifOne month to the day after the divorce heard around the NFL, here comes the reunion.Week 4 of the NFL season is highlighted by the potential drama in Dallas when pass rusher Micah Parsons returns to face the Cowboys four weeks after an impasse in contract negotiations led Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones to deal away the team’s defensive cornerstone to Green Bay.Myriad other factors could affect whether the Packers (2-1) or Cowboys (1-2) win, from whether Green Bay can move the ball as it did during its 2-0 start, to the viability of a Dallas defense that has been shredded for yards and points in each of the past two weeks.Yet the spotlight on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” of course, will center on cutaway shots of Parsons on the field and Jones in the owner’s box, a distance that is representative of the way both grew apart. Parsons, the 12th overall pick of the Cowboys in 2021, had long been complimentary of Jones during his first four NFL seasons. In the spring, Jones suggested the feeling was mutual, telling reporters that the defender was one of only three people with his personal cellphone number.But as Parsons became the first defender since Reggie White to record a dozen or more sacks in each of his first four seasons and pushed for a contract extension, Jones didn’t quickly make a deal to keep Parsons in Dallas for the long term.In July, as the Cowboys opened training camp, fans yelled “Pay Micah!” as Jones addressed a crowd. Three weeks later, while Jones was addressing another group of Cowboys fans before a practice, cries of “We want Micah!” could be heard. Jones reportedly believed he had negotiated a deal with Parsons through discussions with the player himself; when Parsons reportedly requested that his agent be included, Jones balked.“The issue very frankly is we’ve had the negotiation in my mind, and the agent’s trying to get his nose in it right now and try to come in there and improve off the market we had already set,” Jones told former Cowboys wideout Michael Irvin on a podcast before the trade.Jones has a history of attempting to hammer out contracts directly with players and bypassing their agents, but in the case of Parsons, “this did get personal,” ESPN reporter Adam Schefter said on the day of the trade.“It was nothing personal,” Jones said this week on a Texas radio show. “I told you, I liked Micah. … As much as people wanted to make that of it, there was no issue regarding feelings relative to the negotiations. Certainly not on my part. It was just par for the course. And the facts are the negotiation was ongoing.”Parsons has said he never wanted to leave Dallas, but in Green Bay, he received not only a warm welcome as a potential missing piece for the Super Bowl candidate but also a four-year, $188 million deal.Any goodwill toward Jones for the trade was not helped when Green Bay started hot — after opening 2-0, Packers fans thanked Jones for the deal — while the Cowboys struggled. His modest counting statistics with the Packers while playing through a back injury — 1 ½ sacks, five tackles — have often belied the way his threat to rush can have a larger effect. With Parsons on the field, the Packers have allowed 3.6 yards per play and a passer rating of a minuscule 63.0; when he is off the field, those numbers increase to 4.0 yards per play, and a 107.4 passer rating, according to NBC Sports research.“It’s gonna be painful” to potentially sack former teammate and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Parsons told The Associated Press this week.“I accepted my fate weeks ago when the trade happened. For me, it’s just all about playing another game and doing what I do best, and that’s being a disruptive football player. I think the media and the fans are trying to blow it up to be such a big thing. But I just look at it as just another game at AT&T [Stadium].”Jones made headlines in early August, shortly after Parsons demanded a trade, when he remarked that it was good for business that his franchise was “a soap opera 365 days a year.” That continues this week when Parsons returns to Dallas — where the Cowboys will not welcome him with a videoboard tribute.“That’s not to diminish Micah,” Jones said this week. “I think Micah’s got enough welcome out there.”More from SportsFor the second straight year, a New York Giants castoff is an MVP candidateFamous for losing leads, the Chargers might finally be trusted as a title contenderThe Lions are back to being the Lions — and this time, that’s a good thingWhat we’re watching for in Week 4:Minnesota (2-1) at Pittsburgh (2-1): The first NFL regular-season game ever played in Ireland features the Vikings — who are 4-0 in international games — and backup Carson Wentz, who won his debut stepping in for J.J. McCarthy last week. But Wentz has not won consecutive starts since 2021.Washington (2-1) at Atlanta (1-2): Falcons running back Bijan Robinson’s 403 yards from scrimmage rank second in the league, but will Atlanta’s passing game click? QB Michael Penix Jr. has gone two straight games with less than 200 yards of total offense.New Orleans (0-3) at Buffalo (3-0): Bills QB Josh Allen has not turned the ball over in eight consecutive games, including the playoffs. If the Saints lose, it will be their eighth straight loss, the franchise’s longest losing streak since 1980. Cleveland (1-2) at Detroit (2-1): The Browns’ defense has allowed the fewest yards of any team. Myles Garrett needs two sacks to pass Reggie White as the record holder for most sacks by the age of 30.Carolina (1-2) at New England (1-2): Can the Patriots win at home? Since 2023, they own the NFL’s worst winning percentage at home (3-16). Can QB Drake Maye hold on to the ball? He’s lost seven fumbles since the start of last season.Los Angeles Chargers (3-0) at New York Giants (0-3): Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart gets his first carer start. Chargers receiver Keenan Allen needs seven catches to reach 1,000 for his career. If he reaches 1,000 in his next eight games, Allen will become the fastest wideout ever to crack four digits.Philadelphia (3-0) at Tampa Bay (3-0): There is no team more clutch than the Buccaneers, who have won with three consecutive comebacks. They’ve done it in part by failing to turn over the ball once, one of three teams, joining Buffalo and Indianapolis, who have done that.Tennessee (0-3) at Houston (0-3): Time is running out on postseason ambitions. In NFL history, only the 1992 Chargers started 0-4 and went on to make the playoffs.Indianapolis (3-0) at Los Angeles Rams (2-1): The Rams, whose 12 sacks lead the NFL, must get pressure on Colts quarterback Daniel Jones while still finding ways to stop Jonathan Taylor, the only running back averaging more than 100 yards per game.Jacksonville (2-1) at San Francisco (3-0): The Jaguars lead the league with three takeaways per game.Baltimore (1-2) at Kansas City (1-2): Who in the preseason could have envisioned one of these teams with a 1-3 record? Baltimore is here despite leading the NFL in scoring. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is 1-5 against Kansas City.Chicago (1-2) at Las Vegas (1-2): Since the start of last season, the Bears are 1-8 on the road.Green Bay (2-1) at Dallas (1-2): The Packers’ defense has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 20 points. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have allowed 720 passing yards during their last two games.New York Jets (0-3) at Miami (0-3) on Monday: Neither of these teams has produced a takeaway this season. The only other team yet to record either a fumble or interception is Washington.Cincinnati (2-1) at Denver (1-2) on Monday: The Bengals have committed the most turnovers (five interceptions and three fumbles), yet have a winning record.Andrew GreifAndrew Greif is a sports reporter for NBC News Digital.