The Packers took care of business in Week 14, knocking off the Bears at home and claiming the top spot in the NFC North. But while the win was big, the buzz afterward wasn’t just about the standings - it was about what didn’t get called on the field.
Micah Parsons, one of the league’s premier pass rushers, had a relatively quiet day on the stat sheet. Just one tackle and a couple quarterback hits on Chicago’s Caleb Williams. But if you watched the game - especially that fourth quarter drive when the Bears were pushing to tie things up - you saw something that had fans, players, and coaches shaking their heads.
Late in the game, Parsons came screaming off the edge, trying to disrupt Williams. Instead, he got wrapped up - and not in a metaphorical way.
Bears right tackle Darnell Wright quite literally had Parsons in a headlock, arms around his neck as he shoved him past the pocket. Williams escaped, made a big-time throw, and moved the chains.
No flag. Nothing.
The NFL even posted the highlight on social media, and there’s Parsons, down on one knee, arms raised, looking for the call that never came. He wasn’t alone. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, never one to stir the pot unnecessarily, still couldn’t hide his frustration postgame.
“I guess I don’t know what holding is anymore,” LaFleur said. “Officials, I don’t think their jobs are easy by any stretch. I think it’s a difficult job, but I thought it was a pretty clear and obvious hold.”
And he’s not wrong to wonder. Parsons is a game-wrecker - the kind of player offenses have to gameplan around every single week.
When he’s neutralized, it usually means one of two things: a brilliant blocking scheme, or a little help from the officials swallowing their whistles. In this case, it looked a lot more like the latter.
Here's LaFleur on Parsons not getting this call.
— John Miller (@JohnMillerNBC26) December 8, 2025
"I guess I don't know what holding is anymore because I thought that was pretty clear -- clear and obvious hold. I guess I don't know what that means. https://t.co/MfsM2dF72W pic.twitter.com/kF3f5XuppP
This isn’t the first time Parsons has been on the receiving end of questionable no-calls, and it won’t be the last. The Packers know that. They also know they can’t rely on the refs to protect their stars - they’ve got to keep finding ways to win, even when the flags stay in the pockets.
Still, it’s hard not to feel like something was missed. In a game with playoff implications, in a moment that could’ve flipped momentum, a no-call like that stands out.
The Packers got the win. But the conversation afterward?
It was all about the one that got away - and the one that never got called.