‘Pick Their Poison’: Micah Parsons Trade Could Unleash Rashan Gary

After the Green Bay Packers got done with their scrimmage on Thursday, the players went home to enjoy a three-day break before returning to practice on Monday to get ready for the Detroit Lions.

On Thursday afternoon, Gary got a call from longtime teammate Kenny Clark. Clark told him he had been traded, part of the blockbuster swap with the Dallas Cowboys that sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay.

“He let me know the news. It was bittersweet,” Gary said. “Went over to his house, made sure he was straight mentally. Wished him the best of luck, but that’s how I found out.”

Gary might be the big winner of the trade. As he enters Year 7, Gary has been a quality player. However, even though he was selected for his first Pro Bowl last season, he’s never been an elite pass rusher capable of taking over in big moments.

While he’s been Green Bay’s best pass rusher, he hasn’t been a great pass rusher. In 90 games over six seasons, Gary has 39 sacks. He had 7.5 sacks last season and never has reached double digits.

Enter Parsons, who is one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. In 63 games over four seasons, Parsons has 52.5 sacks. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, he ranks fourth with 0.83 sacks per game. That’s almost twice Gary’s career rate of 0.43 sacks per game.

With opponents almost certain to focus more on Parsons than Gary, Gary should have more opportunities to get to the passer.

“I guess we’re going to see that on the 7th,” Gary said of the Week 1 showdown.

Gary was the 12th pick of the 2019 draft and Parsons was the 12th pick of the 2021 draft. They worked out a “couple times in the offseason” in Dallas, Gary said.

“We know each other, but we about to get close,” Gary said.

That process started at Monday’s practice and will go throughout the week and throughout the weeks.

“Today, just having small groups and periods of time with him, just understanding how he likes to rush,” Gary said. “He can go high, inside counter, through the guy, whatever it may be, but off rip just talking to him, it really don’t matter what side. I feel the same way.

“I just like his mindset. Shoot, it’s just me vs. the man across from me, same type of mindset I have. He said, ‘Man, just go have fun, and if you feel like you’ve got a good matchup on the left side, then I go right,’ and vice-versa. Just communicating, understanding how he likes to rush, I’m getting familiar with him. Of course, we’ve seen the highlights, me playing the other side of him, watching him on defense, watching how he do, the attention that he brings. It’s going to be hard for offenses. They’re really going to have to pick their poison. On paper, it’s very exciting, but the more reps that we get together, the better.”

The “pick your poison” line also was said by coach Matt LaFleur on Friday.

“What are you going to do?” LaFleur said of opponents having to contend with Parsons and Gary. “Are you chipping both sides? Well, if you are, now you're not getting as many people out in the route, at least not initially. So, it definitely kind of flips the field in your favor.”

While Gary was picked for his first Pro Bowl in 2024, Parsons is 4-for-4 in his career. He’s had at least 12 sacks in each of his four seasons. According to PFF, he’s recorded a league-high 349 pressures the past four seasons.

“Shoot, his play speaks for itself. The name speaks for itself,” Gary said. “I feel like the sky’s the limit for him. I feel like the sky’s the limit for our defensive line group. Just can’t wait to see him go.”

The addition of Parsons addressed the team’s potential Achilles heel. Without a great pass rush and without great corners, would Green Bay’s defense be able to withstand the gauntlet of top quarterbacks on the schedule?

The Packers will face one of those right off the bat with Detroit’s Jared Goff.

“Jared Goff is a great quarterback,” Gary said. “If you let him pass the ball away, make it 7-on-7, he’s going to make it a long 60 minutes for us. Part of the game plan, especially going into this week, is trying to get him off his spot and just making it uncomfortable for him to play quarterback because, whenever he has time, he’ll make you pay.”

Of course, the Packers didn’t have a great pass rush or a No. 1 cornerback last season and yet finished in the top six in total defense, scoring defense and takeaways.

Adding Parsons, with his ability to limit quarterbacks’ time in the pocket, could turn a good defense into a great one.

Gary laughed when asked if this could be the best defense in the NFL. He didn’t disagree, though.

“It’s scary,” he said. “It’s for sure scary with the pieces that we have, the guys that we have, especially with the mindsets we all have. Especially talking to him today, we’re kind of similar persons in terms of mindset. So, it’s going to be scary for teams, for sure.”