Micah Parsons didn’t need long to make his presence felt in Green Bay, and ESPN still sees him as one of the league’s most dangerous edge rushers even after the ACL injury that ended his season.
The Packers’ trade for Parsons was one of last year’s biggest swings, and it paid off fast. He reshaped Green Bay’s pass rush right away and helped fuel several important wins before going down with a season-ending ACL tear. Even with that setback, ESPN ranked him as the NFL’s second-best edge rusher.
A longtime NFL defensive coach told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Elite burst and closing speed to make plays. [He] has the most rush versatility of the group. Consistently wins over centers and guards and tackles, it doesn’t matter where he is,”
Parsons has backed up that reputation with production. In his first season with the Packers, he finished with 12.5 sacks and earned first-team All-Pro honors. Across his first five NFL seasons, he has now reached at least 12 sacks every year, injuries included.
ESPN placed Parsons just behind Myles Garrett of the Los Angeles Rams, and an NFL coordinator made clear how difficult both players are to handle.
“There are two guys that never really get blocked in the NFL, and it’s those two guys - Myles and Micah. You do what you can with movements and quick game, and it’s not enough.”
Parsons, 27, tore his ACL against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 14, so his status for the start of the season remains uncertain. But Green Bay knows exactly what kind of impact he can have when he’s on the field. The Packers are expected to be in the mix with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title again.
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Packers Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Chase Maxx Crosby
The Packers are heading toward the 2026 season with a pass rush that still feels unfinished, even after the big swing for Micah Parsons. With Parsons expected to miss the first half of the year as Green Bay eases him back from injury, Lukas Van Ness is likely to be one of the main edge options when the season opens, which puts added pressure on the front office to keep looking for help.
That is why Maxx Crosby has suddenly become a name to watch again. The Raiders star was already the sort of player who would change the look of a defense, and now Green Bay has a real chance to enter the conversation if it decides the price is worth it. The question is whether the Packers would be willing to spend the draft capital needed after already making such a major investment in Parsons, or whether they will trust their current plan and let the market sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Know Exactly Who Truly Owned No. 5
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He was at his peak in the early 1960s, when he piled up points, earned league MVP honors in 1961 and helped Green Bay win four NFL titles. Vince Lombardi later treated No. 5 as if it were off-limits, even if the Packers never made that retirement official, and only a handful of players have worn it since. [Read more 🡒]
One Packers Bears Stop Still Fuels The Keisean Nixon Debate
The play that keeps coming up in Green Bays cornerback conversation came in the final seconds of a Week 14 rivalry game, when the Bears had already pushed quickly into Packers territory and were threatening to flip the night on its head. On fourth down with 27 seconds left, the Packers were clinging to a 28-21 lead, and Keisean Nixon came up with the interception that ended Chicagos comeback bid and turned a tense finish into a defensive exhale.
Nixons value has always been tied to his playmaking, but this one also reopened the broader debate about how much freedom he should have to freelance in key moments. The sequence was messy before it became memorable, with a breakdown in coverage creating the kind of split-second opening that can decide a rivalry game, and it left the Packers once again weighing whether Nixons instincts are exactly what they need or part of a larger gamble. [Read more 🡒]