Tom Brady shares honest thoughts on Micah Parsons’ biggest challenge as he begins new chapter with the Packers
Former quarterback has a lot of experience with locker room dynamics.
Micah Parsons was not happy with his contract situation on the Dallas Cowboys. That led to an uncomfortable situation that proved unamendable, and the player was ultimately traded to the Green Bay Packers last week. Now, Parsons has a new chapter to prove he was not the problem.
Going into a new team, the star edge rusher will have his own challenges. For former quarterback Tom Brady, he switched teams for the final three seasons of his career, talked about Parsons’ move and what he expects to see moving forward.
“The challenge with being a really high-paid player, whether that’s a receiver or a defensive end, is if you’re not racking up statistics, there’s a lot of social media and media pressure that falls on you,” Brady said to PFF’s Cris Collinsworth podcast. “You have to be a strong-willed competitor to say, ‘The goal is winning, the team winning, not me getting a sack a game or me as a receiver going for 110 yards.’ You have to be okay with team success.”
Micah Parsons is the first player since Reggie White to start his career with four consecutive 12-sack seasons. Brady thinks individual stats are secondary, though.
“Put the contract aside. Are we winning? Are we losing? Is our side of the ball having the success we expect?,” Brady questioned. “Obviously, Green Bay believes this move puts them in contention.”
Aligned goals
Micah Parsons signed a four-year, $186 million contract with the Packers right after the trade. The $46.5 million yearly average made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Now that the deal is done, money shouldn’t be a priority anymore.
“Well, it’s intriguing. I wish I was like Tony Romo, who calls out all the plays and knows everything in advance. I would say it’s unpredictable, but usually I see players in Micah’s role go to a new team and in the first year, everyone’s on their best behavior, aligned with team goals,” Brady added. “I believe Micah has always been that. I love Micah. I’ve been a friend of his since his rookie game was against me. I’ve always loved his skill set as a player, and he’s going to have to adapt and morph into a system that has a lot of other good players as well.”
The Packers finished last season with the seventh best defense in football, according to DVOA. The team lost Jaire Alexander, who missed 10 games in 2024, and added Parsons and cornerback Nate Hobbs on the veteran side. General manager Brian Gutekunst also drafted edge rushers Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver on Day 3 of the draft—albeit Oliver starts the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which forces him to miss at least four games.
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