GREEN BAY, Wis. — As Evan Williams stood in front of his locker, I could see his mind working. The second-year safety looked off into the distance and pursed his lips, in search of the right words to describe why exactly Micah Parsons’ integration into the Packers has been so seamless. That’s not just as the superstar pass rusher that he is, but as a leader, too.
For Williams, being a leader is more of a byproduct of actions and habits than being vocal. And Parsons “stuck out like a sore thumb” in that regard in his first Packers practice shortly after being acquired from the Cowboys in late August.
“The bigger caliber of players, it’s not typical for those type of people to be sprinting to the ball 30 yards downfield — especially as a pass rusher with how heavy he is — and [doing so] consistently,” Williams told me. “During a couple of the first team periods, he’s a guy that makes a pass-rush move, might get a sack or not, and he’s sprinting to the ball downfield. At least for me, that’s just something that matters. It earns a lot of my respect, just in how the guy works.
“I feel like it gained a lot of the team’s respect,” he continued, “just putting on that film and seeing how he comes in every day and has the same mentality toward getting a little better each day, especially for a guy that is obviously very good. To still be focused on the process like that, it’s pretty special.”
Micah Parsons celebrates after Green Bay’s 27-23 road victory against the Cardinals in Week 7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Parsons’ play this season has been pretty special.
He’s been as advertised for the Packers (4-1-1), with 5.5 sacks (tied for sixth) and 13 quarterback hits through six games. Parsons leads the NFL with 41 pressures, including a league-high 17 in the fourth quarter, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s the only NFL player with a 20-plus percentage pressure rate and a 20-plus percentage double team rate, which speaks to how difficult he is to block.
Parsons had his best game yet as a Packer in last week’s win over the Cardinals, with a career-high three sacks — two of which came in the fourth quarter — en route to NFC Player of the Week honors. He registered 10 pressures in 32 pass rushes overall in the game, per NGS.
Now that Parsons is acclimated to his new team, he’s looking to kick his game into high gear. He’ll look to continue his dominance this week against the Steelers (4-2) on Sunday night, when Aaron Rodgers plays the Packers for the first time.
“For this trade to work out, we gotta win games. We gotta go for a shot at the [Super Bowl],” Parsons said Thursday. “That’s a question I’m about to answer later in the end of the year. If we don’t do anything, then it’s like I didn’t do enough. So I have to try my best to make sure I bring the guys along with me.
“Potential is a motherf—er,” he continued. “I think a lot of people have potential in life. I think everyone has potential. … Those who capitalize on potential are very few. We have to capitalize on our potential and get better.”
‘There’s nobody better than him in the league’
When I told Rashan Gary that it’d already been two months since Parsons’ arrival, he shook his head.
“Damn, time flying!” the edge rusher exclaimed from his locker.
The play speaks for itself. But Gary wants you to know that Parsons is “down to earth.” He’s welcoming. He’s funny and goofy, too. In the meeting room with the younger defensive linemen, he has a way of joking around with them and keeping it light while also acknowledging that need for improvements.
During his first week in Green Bay, Parsons had his family come to town to cook for the defensive line.
“I would say for a person that don’t know Micah,” Gary told me, “people might think because of his status or how people view him that he might be a cocky guy. But nah, man.”
The Packers’ D-line held a watch party for the Monday Night Football doubleheader this week, but Parsons made it a point to invite Williams and other teammates.
“It would be very easy for someone like him to — I don’t want to say a big head or a big ego — but it would be easy to be larger than life in a sense,” Williams told me. “He’s just a guy that’s just one of the guys. Anybody can talk to him. … He came in and really just made friends with everybody.
“It’s just the little things like that that are pretty special. He doesn’t hold any grudges. He doesn’t feel like he’s above anybody or anything.”
Parsons has fit in seamlessly with the Packers, while also giving Rashan Gary (No. 52) a chance to face fewer double-teams. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It’s no different on the field, even as the Packers’ best defensive player.
In games or before drills in practice against Green Bay’s offense, it’s not uncommon to hear Parsons giving teammates a pep talk:
Alright, everybody do your job!
Do your 1/11th and we going to be good!
We have some of the best players in the league in this huddle right now!
“Just the little words of encouragement like that feel like they add to his presence, and they make us all have confidence in him and in our whole team,” Williams told me. “They just give us the kind of swagger that we need to understand that when we’re playing our best ball, nobody can really mess with us.”
It shows up on the stat sheet.
Green Bay has been susceptible to giving up big pass plays in recent weeks and the takeaway numbers are pacing lower than a year ago, but the Packers have kept opponents’ points down. They have allowed 23 or fewer points in five of their six games this season. The team ranks 10th in scoring defense (20.8 points allowed per game) and sixth in total defense (288.5 yards allowed per game).
The fourth quarter is where the Packers’ defense has played some of its best ball. It’s tied for third in pressures (39) and sixth in rushing yards allowed (21.0) in the period.
Gary has faced a double team on a career-low 4.1% of his pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats, in large part due to the presence of Parsons. The two have combined for 62 pressures and 11 sacks, ranking third and fourth-most among edge duos, respectively.
“It’s a swagger,” Gary told me of having Parsons on the field. “Something that you feel. Something that you see. Just the energy of knowing that ‘I’m unblockable. All we need is a one-on-one. It’s only going to take us one rush.’ … That’s what separates him: knowing that he can’t be blocked and shoot, any play can be the best play and be that game-changer.”
Packers right tackle Zach Tom has seen the defense’s confidence grow with Parsons.
“You can see him getting more and more comfortable being a leader, which is nice to see,” Tom told me. “At the end of the day, he is the catalyst of the defense. When he’s making plays, the defense is flying to the ball. There’s nobody better than him in the league.”
My last question for Gary: Of all the things Parsons does well, what’s his biggest strength?
The Pro Bowler didn’t hesitate.
“Cause havoc. Put on the tape,” he told me. “Wherever 1 at, just watch him. … It might not pop up in the stat sheet all the time, but he causes offenses hell, and you know offensive coordinators are thinking about him.”
And he’s thinking about leading the Packers on a deep playoff run.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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