Micah Parsons Keeps Getting Held - and the Flags Just Aren’t Coming
Football is a game of inches, speed, and raw power - and sometimes, it’s a game of what the officials don’t see. Or maybe what they choose not to call.
Every week, 22 players fly around the field at full throttle, and in the middle of that chaos, referees are tasked with making split-second decisions. It’s not an easy job.
But lately, it’s hard to ignore one glaring trend: Micah Parsons is getting held. A lot.
And the whistles just aren’t blowing.
Take Sunday’s game against the Bears. There was a sequence that left more than a few people scratching their heads.
First, a bizarre no-call on what looked like a live ball - Caleb Williams’ pass never hit the ground, and Evan Williams came out of the scrum with it. Refs ruled it incomplete.
Then, on back-to-back plays, Parsons was clearly held coming off the edge. No flags.
No calls. Chicago punted, and the moment passed, but the frustration lingered.
That wasn’t an isolated incident. In fact, the Bears went the entire game without being flagged once for holding Parsons - despite several reps that pushed the limits of what’s legal.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur noticed. He didn’t go full tirade in his postgame presser, but his message was clear: something’s not adding up.
“I’m not going to get into what we were talking about,” LaFleur said, trying to toe the line. “Officials, I don’t think that their jobs are easy by any stretch. I think it is a difficult job, but I guess I don’t know what holding is anymore because I thought that was a pretty clear and obvious hold.”
That’s a coach trying to keep his cool - but also trying to send a message. When pressed on what Parsons has to do to actually get a flag, LaFleur pointed to one moment he thought was especially blatant.
“I thought there was one that certainly was questionable, to say the least,” he added. “But apparently the officials disagreed. So it is what it is, and we’ve just got to continue to strain and fight and try to get to the quarterback.”
That’s the reality for a player like Parsons. He’s not just another pass rusher.
He’s a generational talent - the kind of edge presence that forces offenses to change their entire game plan. He’s in the same rarefied air as Myles Garrett, and when you’re that dominant, you’re going to draw extra attention.
Offensive linemen know they have to do whatever it takes to slow him down. And too often, “whatever it takes” includes grabbing, clutching, and holding - sometimes right in front of the officials.
And yet, the flags stay in the pockets.
Parsons, for his part, is used to it. That doesn’t mean it’s not frustrating. After the Packers’ 28-21 win over Chicago, he didn’t mince words.
“I’m immune. I just gotta keep fighting through,” Parsons said.
“I mean, that’s been the definition of my career. The rule book is they gotta be in the chest area, and I’m just not getting grabbed in the chest area.
There’s nothing I can do about it - just keep fighting.”
That’s the mindset of a player who knows he’s not going to get every call. And truthfully, no one does.
The NFL isn’t built to throw a flag on every borderline hold - if it were, games would grind to a halt. The league has to balance officiating with entertainment, and constant stoppages don’t exactly make for a smooth broadcast.
But there’s a difference between letting the game flow and letting elite defenders get mugged without consequence.
It’s not about conspiracy theories or claims of corruption. Every team gets burned by missed calls.
Every fan base has a list of “what if” moments. But when it becomes a weekly pattern - when one of the league’s premier defenders keeps getting dragged down and nothing changes - it becomes a problem that can’t be ignored.
The Packers know that. And while they’re not going to turn every press conference into a complaint session, they also understand what’s at stake.
Come January, one missed call could be the difference between advancing and heading home. These moments matter.
So yes, Micah Parsons will keep fighting. That’s who he is.
But at some point, the league has to take notice. Because if this keeps up, it won’t just be Parsons getting held - it’ll be the Packers’ postseason hopes.