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Packers DE Micah Parsons Awaiting Decision from NFL

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 8:34 PM ET

Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers earned their second straight win in Week 7, improving to 4-1-1 on the 2025 NFL season with a 27-23 victory over Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals. Parsons, acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in an offseason trade, had his best game as a member of the Packers, recording five tackles, four tackles for loss and a season-high three sacks, moving his 2025 total to 5.5.

With 8:24 remaining in the second quarter of Packers vs. Cardinals, Parsons picked up what would have been his second sack of the day, bringing down Brissett near the line of scrimmage. But Parsons was called for a hip-drop tackle, giving Arizona a free 15 yards before allowing a field goal.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) walks on the sideline against the Detroit Lions.© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The NFL began cracking down on hip-drop tackles last season, making Parsons’ sack of Brissett illegal. The new rule bans a tackling technique in which a defender (per NFL Operations):

Grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and
Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.

With the NFL increasing its emphasis on enforcing the rule, Parsons can likely expect a hefty fine. The league fines players up to $17,389 for a first hip-drop tackle offense, with the amount rising to $23,186 for a second violation.

Micah Parsons flagged for a hip drop tackle pic.twitter.com/2iI0hhHYfe
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 19, 2025

The NFL has issued nine fines for hip-drop tackles through the first six weeks of the season, including three in Week 6. While some players were fined the maximum amount for a first offense, others got off lighter, with fines as low as $5,215.

Up next for Parsons and the Packers, a matchup on the road against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8's edition of "Sunday Night Football."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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