The Green Bay Packers made off like bandits in the trade for Micah Parsons, even despite giving up two first-round picks and a quality defensive starter in Kenny Clark.
Parsons proved his value early, making impacts all over the place in Green Bay’s Week 1 drubbing of the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Ben Solak of ESPN noted that Lions QB Jared Goff had an average of 2.8 seconds to throw the football when Parsons was in the game compared to 3.36 seconds when he was on the sidelines.
“You couldn’t watch that game and not feel Parsons’ presence — Goff certainly did,” Solak wrote. “Parsons played only 45% of the snaps after a sudden trade two weeks ago and a lingering back issue; I expect him to be closer to 65% for a huge Thursday night game against the [Washington] Commanders.”
Parsons also made the players around him better, specifically Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, who put up 1.5 sacks and 0.5 sacks, respectively, against Detroit. The Packers did not appear to miss Clark much in the run game, allowing just 46 total rushing yards on 22 carries, though the pass rush may not have been as solid without Gary using his talents to thrive, as Detroit paid more attention to Parsons.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Wednesday that the Dallas Cowboys seriously considered asking for Gary in the Parsons deal before settling on Clark.
Cowboys Considered Asking for Rashan Gary in Micah Parsons Trade Rather Than Kenny Clark
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary.
The Packers are the No. 2 team in The Athletic’s Week 2 NFL power rankings, largely because of the defense.
“Parsons had barely been with the Packers a week and already made a massive impact as the defense flummoxed the Lions,” Chad Graff and Josh Kendall wrote. “Once Parsons is comfortable, look out.”
An interesting thought experiment involves imagining what the defense might look like if it was Gary and his $96 million contract that the Packers shipped to Dallas instead of Clark.
“I’m told pass rusher Rashan Gary … was a part of Dallas’ internal trade discussion on the Micah Parsons deal,” Fowler wrote. “The Cowboys were looking to add a premier defensive player, and Gary’s name came up in the building before the move.”
Whether the Packers would have surrendered Gary in any trade is uncertain, though it’s likely nothing would have been off limits in Green Bay with the prospect of landing Parsons — arguably the best defender in football and just 26 years old — on the table.
Lukas Van Ness Already Benefiting From Micah Parsons’ Presence via New Role
GettyEdge rusher Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers.
Gary wasn’t the only player to benefit from Parsons’ presence, as Van Ness also showed flashes in Week 1 in an altered role.
“Van Ness, who has been a fine-but-not-spectacular player for Green Bay over his first two seasons, took eight of his 35 snaps aligned on the interior — the most for a single game in his career,” Solak wrote. “His half-sack, shared with Rashan Gary, was the result of his bull rush over Lions left guard Christian Mahogany. Watch for these sort of sets as the season goes on — a ton of pocket-collapsing power and three players who can excel on twists and stunts. Scary group if you’re an opposing QB.”
Green Bay’s trio of pass rushers will take the field again soon, as the Packers host the Commanders on “Thursday Night Football” on September 11 at 7:15 p.m. local time.
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