After a promising 9-3-1 start, the Green Bay Packers saw their season unravel with a five-game losing streak that slammed the door on any playoff dreams. Now, as the locker room gets cleared out and offseason questions start piling up, one thing is clear: there’s more to fix in Green Bay than just the X’s and O’s. And if Micah Parsons’ recent comments are any indication, the soul-searching isn’t just for the front office - it’s for the players, too.
Parsons, who tore his ACL late in the season, could’ve easily pointed to his absence as a reason for the team's collapse. Instead, he turned the mirror on the locker room.
“The change is the players. Us players are the ones playing the game,” Parsons said during exit interviews.
“I challenged the guys to do more than what your job requires. If you’re in shape, run more.
Do more. We’ve got to be out there.
Like, we need to be playing. If we’ve got to play 80 snaps, we play 80 [expletive] snaps.
But we shouldn’t be tired doing that.”
That’s not just a call for accountability - that’s a challenge. And while Parsons didn’t name names, it’s hard not to connect the dots to Rashan Gary, whose 2025 season became a tale of two halves.
When Parsons arrived in Green Bay via a blockbuster August trade with Dallas, the expectation was that Gary would thrive with an All-Pro on the opposite edge. And early on, he did. Gary racked up 26 pressures and 7.5 sacks over the first seven games, looking every bit like the dominant edge rusher the Packers hoped he’d become.
But then the production dried up - fast. Over the final nine games, including the Wild Card loss, Gary failed to record a single sack or tackle for loss.
And while pressures still came (27 over that stretch, per Pro Football Focus), the impact plays disappeared. That’s the kind of drop-off that raises eyebrows, especially when paired with Parsons’ next quote.
“I dare people to beat me to the ball, you know? And I do it because my life depends on the outcome of how this team plays,” Parsons said.
“Everything is a competition. Like, even though we’re teammates, we’re still competing to reach the same common goal… You can’t coach effort.
And that’s the mentality I want guys to embrace.”
It’s a message about urgency, about effort - and about accountability. And while Parsons didn’t single out Gary, it’s not hard to see how the shoe might fit.
Take the Packers’ season-ending loss to the Bears. Gary was credited with six pressures, but there were also moments that raised questions.
One in particular - a half-hearted chase of Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams - drew attention from analysts like Andy Herman of the "Pack A Day Podcast." It wasn’t an isolated moment, either.
Earlier in the year, during a loss to Denver, Gary appeared to pull up on a play while Parsons kept charging, forcing an incompletion from Bo Nix. Plays like that don’t go unnoticed - especially by teammates who are laying it all on the line.
To be fair, Gary’s not a ghost out there. Pressures matter, and he still found ways to affect the pocket.
But for a player with a $28 million cap hit next season and a “C” on his chest, the expectations are higher. It’s not just about being close - it’s about finishing.
And that’s what makes Parsons’ comments so powerful. They weren’t just about hustle or heart.
They were about leadership. About setting a standard.
About asking the guys around him - especially the ones with big contracts and big roles - to match the intensity it takes to win when it matters most.
Now, the Packers head into a pivotal offseason. Matt LaFleur’s future is under the microscope.
The defense needs answers. And the front office has tough decisions to make - including whether Gary is still part of the long-term vision.
Parsons made his stance clear: effort isn’t optional. And if the Packers want to get back to being a contender, that message needs to echo through the locker room - loud and clear.