The Green Bay Packers added one of the biggest difference-makers in the NFL to their team just before the 2025 season, trading for star pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys and giving him a massive $188 million contract extension. Parsons is dealing with a back injury, but it seems like it will be all systems go for the season opener on Sunday.
Green Bay will need Parsons to be at his best right from the get-go in 2025, as it kicks off its regular season with a huge NFC North clash against the Detroit Lions. The Lions beat the Packers twice last season on their way to a division title, but Parsons changes the calculus for the boys in Titletown.
Everyone is looking forward to how the Packers and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley deploy Parsons this season, but they will have to keep waiting until kickoff to know for sure. When asked on Thursday, Hafley wasn't ready to give anything away when it comes to the usage of his new star player, via Ryan Wood of USA Today.
“I'm not telling,” Hafley said.
Of course, Parsons is one of the best pass rushers in football and will certainly see plenty of snaps on the edge. He has 52.5 sacks and 63 tackles for loss in four seasons, playing in 63 games during that time. He is one of two players, along with Reggie White, to record 12 or more sacks in each of their first four seasons in the league.
However, Parsons' versatility is part of what makes him such a special player. At times, the Cowboys lined him up inside and even stood him up over the center as a pass rusher to give offenses a different look, and he was very effective in that role. The former Penn State star was also an off-ball linebacker at times in college, and that is something that the Packers can do with him as a changeup.
The Lions will also have somewhat of a new-look offense after the departure of Ben Johnson, so there will be a little bit of unfamiliarity on both sides of this divisional matchup in Week 1. Regardless, all eyes on both sides will be on Parsons and how he fares in his Packers debut.
