Micah Parsons is a Green Bay Packer!?!

As part of this, I want to take a second here to highlight what Brian Gutekunst has done over the last 18 months or so. We all remember the Packers were a young team that had over-achieved in 2023. They had the youngest roster in the league at that point. They could have stood pat and expected their own young players to improve and power them towards further playoff contention. But, Gutekunst and the Packers have done anything but sit on their hands since that time. I can make the argument that the best 3 players on this team have all been added over the last 18 months. (Parsons, McKinney and Jacobs) During this time Green Bay also brought in projected starters in Aaron Banks, Nate Hobbs and Matthew Golden. 

There has long been a sentiment that the Packers are too timid and passive with their team building. It brings me great joy to say that this narrative no longer applies to this team! Gutekunst and the front office are telling us fans exactly how they feel about this year’s team and their potential. They see the team as a legit contender, especially now with the addition of Parsons. 

In 2024 I thought the Packers had two main weaknesses. First, they did not have a WR1 type player who was capable of beating man coverage in big spots. Second, they did not have an impactful pass rush and it showed in the biggest games and against the best offensive lines. 

Gutekunst appears to have fixed both of those issues with a bullet. Matthew Golden and Micah Parsons were brought in this offseason to fix those issues. So, to all those who still complain about the Green Bay front office, what more could you ask for?? 

Now let’s move on to Parsons the player. Parsons is an otherworldly athlete. At the NFL combine in 2021, Parsons ran a 4.39 40 yard dash. For context, that would make Parsons the second fastest cornerback on the Packers roster! That athleticism shows on the field too. The first thing us Packers fans will notice about Micah is his devastating first step quickness. Parsons not only wins as a pass rusher, he does it very quickly, and this is the exact kind of player Green Bay has been needing. The Packers have struggled to defend quick passing attacks over the last few years, think Jared Goff and the Lions. Parsons fixes this problem almost by himself. 

Pressure was a consistent problem for the Packers last year. Remember Jalen Hurts’ first touchdown pass in the playoff game? The one where he had literally all day to throw and eventually found his receiver in the back corner of the end zone. That play has been living in my mind all summer. That play is why I wanted the Packers to draft an edge rusher in round 1 of the draft. That play is why I was happy to see the team hire a new D-line coach. You just can’t win football games rushing the passer like that. 

By trading for Parsons, the Packers take what may have been their biggest weakness and they turn it into their biggest strength! I’m not sure there’s another pass rushing duo in the league that is better than Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary. Then throw in Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, Edge Cooper and Quay Walker as other pass rushers around them. This pass rushing unit can be legitimately scary good in 2025.  

The next thing I want to highlight is the gravity of Micah Parsons. Think of Steph Curry in basketball. When Steph is on the court the defense has to shift their geometry. Since he can shoot from anywhere, defenders have to guard further out from the basket and go over the top of all screens. This frees up cutting lanes underneath for other players around Steph. 

Parsons has that same sort of gravity. I’ll just say this. Rashan Gary is never going to get consistently chipped or double teamed again. I believe Parsons can really have that Steph Curry-esque gravity for this defensive line. He’ll instantly be the best pass rusher on the team while simultaneously making everyone else’s jobs easier. 

It is hard to overstate how incredibly good Micah Parsons is. It’s also hard to overstate how clearly the Packers won this transaction. There were surely other teams in the league who could have outbid the Packers, but somehow Parsons ended up in Green Bay. Let’s all take a second to enjoy this moment. This trade represents a huge positive turning point for this franchise, and that should be celebrated. 

Micah Parsons is a freaking Green Bay Packer! Watch out to the rest of the NFC.