What Micah Parsons has done in his short time with the Green Bay Packers has reinforced his standing as one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers.
Acquired in a stunning trade with the Dallas Cowboys late in training camp, Parsons has been as good as advertised in his first two months in Green Bay. A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, Parsons is tied for the team lead in sacks and is coming off a game at Arizona in which he dropped the quarterback a career-high three times.
That sets the stage for Parsons and the 4-1-1 Packers to try their hand against the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers got a taste of a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year two weeks ago in Cleveland’s Myles Garrett. Last week, they were lucky enough to avoid Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson, who sat out the AFC North matchup with an injury. Awaiting them in prime time is Parsons, the former Penn State star outside linebacker who was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week because of what transpired against the Cardinals.
Coach Mike Tomlin laughed when he was asked Tuesday about whether Parsons belongs in the elite group of pass rushers who deserve special attention from offensive coordinators.
“Most certainly,” Tomlin said. “I think his paycheck indicates so.”
When negotiations for a contract extension stalled and talks turned acrimonious, the Cowboys shipped Parsons to the Packers, who immediately signed him to a four-year, $186 million deal that included $136 million guaranteed. It was the biggest payout in an offseason that saw Garrett and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt get mega-money extensions of their own.
And the Steelers get to game plan for Parsons just two weeks after holding Garrett in check.
“With all these great pass rushers, it feels like every week you’ve got some premier guy you’re facing,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “I look at where teams invest money, and it doesn’t really change. It’s the edge rushers. Look at Green Bay’s roster construction. There is a lot of early draft capital, players on second contracts. There is a reason guys get paid what they do. They can really affect the game and the game plan.”
The Packers added Parsons to a defensive front seven that includes Rashan Gary, who also has 5 1/2 sacks this year and is in the midst of a four-year, $107 million contract extension. With 11 combined sacks, Parsons and Gary are the NFL’s second-most effective pass-rushing duo, trailing Denver’s Nick Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, who have combined for 14.
“You put four hands on somebody, and somebody (else) is going to have a one-on-one,” right tackle Troy Fautanu said. “Just make sure we’re winning those matchups. … Parsons is a game-wrecker, so we’re going to treat him as such.”
Parsons never finished with fewer than 12 sacks in his four seasons with the Cowboys, and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after he was selected No. 12 overall in the 2021 draft. He was inactive last season when the Cowboys visited Acrisure Stadium, yet he finished with 12 sacks in 13 games for the season.
His visit Sunday night will mark Parsons’ first career game against the Steelers. Still, he enters the matchup with a reputation that precedes him.
“He’s just relentless. He’s a relentless player,” said left tackle Broderick Jones, who held Garrett without a sack two weeks ago. “He doesn’t stop like most people in the league. It sets him apart because he has a motor about him. He has a deep bag of tools. He has the finesse to his game, too.”
What also sets Parsons apart is his deployment within the defense. As he did in Dallas, Parsons has a tendency to play all over the defensive front seven. He can switch between the left and right edge spots. He can line up at linebacker. According to Pro Football Focus, Parsons hasn’t spent more than 41% of his snaps at any one spot on the defense this year.
“He’s got a unique skill set in that regard, sure,” Smith said.
