Micah Parsons wastes no time reaching a milestone no Packers player had hit in years, and it spotlights his instant impact
Edge rusher is the first Packer to have a double-digit sack season since Za’Darius Smith back in 2020.
When the Green Bay Packers made that big investment to acquire Micah Parsons, sending two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys, general manager Brian Gutekunst was clear: He wouldn’t have been willing to give up so much for a normal player, and that showed how much the team trusted what Parsons could become.
Eleven games in, and the star defender has been exactly what the Packers could hope for. With two sacks on Sunday during the 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Parsons got to 10 on the season. He became the first Packer defender to reach that milestone since Za’Darius Smith in back-to-back seasons (2019, 2020). And there are six games left in the regular season.
“You always should be appreciative, it’s such a difficult feat,” Parsons said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a feat where it’s very easy or anything like that. But it’s a standard of play. CeeDee Lamb used to say, 1,000 yards is the minimum. So I feel like 10 sacks for the standard of player you are, that should be the minimum you should get. And for me and Myles [Garrett] it’s always 10 sacks.”
Parsons makes everything look better
The Packers traded for Parsons due to his individual potential, for sure, but not only because of that. As such an impactful edge defender, he has the potential to make the entire defense look better. Even with underwhelming production from Rashan Gary over the past few games, the team still generates pressure — on Sunday, Devonte Wyatt also had two sacks.
With such an impact upfront, the Packers have hidden their biggest weakness on the roster for the most part — cornerback play. Keisean Nixon left the game with a stinger, and Nate Hobbs has missed the past few games with a knee injury. Even with Carrington Valentine and Kamal Hadden playing at corner, the unit limited quarterback J.J. McCarthy to fewer than 100 yards — star receiver Justin Jefferson had four catches for 48 yards, and Jordan Addison didn’t touch the football.
Parsons finished the game with four pressures and was also disruptive in the run game. Even if not every game will be as successful for the defense, the Packers have that type of impact from their star player week in and week out — and that’s something absurdly valuable in the NFL.