Micah Parsons Delivers in Green Bay, Even as Myles Garrett Claims DPOY Spotlight
When the Green Bay Packers swung a blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons just ahead of the 2025 season, the expectations were sky-high. They weren’t just bringing in a pass rusher - they were landing one of the most disruptive forces in football. And Parsons wasted no time proving exactly why he’s in that rare tier of game-wrecking defenders.
In his first year wearing green and gold, Parsons racked up 12.5 sacks and earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the third time in his five-year career. That’s elite company - and a testament to his immediate impact on a Packers defense that needed a true alpha on the edge.
Even a late-season injury couldn’t dim his shine. Parsons tore his ACL on December 14, sidelining him for the final three games of the regular season.
But his dominance over the first 14 weeks had already cemented his standing. The league took notice - and so did the voters.
Despite missing nearly a quarter of the season, Parsons was still named one of five finalists for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. That alone speaks volumes about his influence on the field. But this year, the DPOY race wasn’t much of a race at all.
Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns' star edge rusher, made history. He didn’t just win the award - he swept it.
Garrett received all 50 first-place votes, becoming just the second player in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year unanimously. The only other to do it?
J.J. Watt back in 2014.
Garrett’s 23.0 sacks set a new single-season record, and his dominance was simply too much to overlook. Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans finished second in the voting, while Parsons took third. Nik Bonitto and Aidan Hutchinson rounded out the top five.
Still, Parsons’ season shouldn’t be overshadowed. He was the heartbeat of Green Bay’s defense, a relentless presence off the edge who constantly demanded double-teams and still found ways to get home. Even without a full season under his belt, he stayed in the mix for the league’s top defensive honor - a feat that underscores just how special he is.
Before leaving for the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay’s former defensive coordinator made it clear: he expects Parsons to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2026. That’s a bold prediction for any player, let alone one coming off a torn ACL. But if anyone can do it, it’s Parsons.
This isn’t new territory for him, either. In five NFL seasons, Parsons has finished top-three in DPOY voting four times.
He was runner-up in both 2021 and 2022. That level of consistency - especially at a position that often sees production fluctuate year to year - is rare.
If he returns healthy and plays a full season, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be right back in the thick of the DPOY conversation. Parsons has already proven he’s one of the most feared defenders in football. Now, the only thing standing between him and the league’s top defensive prize is staying on the field.