When Micah Parsons landed in Green Bay, he noticed something special. This defense plays as one. For context, this unit was already a top-10 group last season. Add a three-time All-Pro into the mix, and it suddenly feels like a defense built to dominate. Even Mike McCarthy, the ex-Cowboys coach, sees it.

While talking about the post-Cowboys era, McCarthy pointed to where Parsons is now. “As for Micah, he goes to a young team and another great organization. He can reach all of the goals he wants to reach as a player and a teammate. He’s in a great spot.’’ He’s not wrong. For the third straight year, the Packers have the youngest roster in football. With an average age of just over 25, as per the Philly Voice, Parsons fits that timeline perfectly.

Meanwhile, don’t let the Packers’ Week 3 loss fool you. The defense still looked elite. They held their opponent to only 221 total yards, forced a turnover, and racked up two sacks with 10 hits on the quarterback. Even veteran Joe Flacco barely scratched out 142 passing yards and tossed a pick. Sure, the run defense bent late, but the pass unit is still lights out. Simply put, this defense is giving off best-in-the-league vibes.

However, when asked about Sunday night, McCarthy drew a line. No predictions. No scoreboard talk. Instead, he broke it down the way only a coach can. “As a coach, you’re always analyzing it,’’ he says. “That’s how we’re wired for viewing football. It’s the way we’re trained. I’ll be watching individuals.” One of those individuals will no doubt be No. 11 in green and gold.

For four seasons in Dallas, Parsons wrecked game plans. Double-digit sacks every year. Four Pro Bowls. And on Sunday, the spotlight swings right back where it started—Parsons facing the Cowboys, only this time as a Packer.

What’ll it be like for Micah Parsons at Dallas?

The last time Micah Parsons was inside AT&T Stadium, it wasn’t for a regular-season showdown. It was a preseason game against the Falcons back in August. He stole the spotlight without even taking a snap. First, he walked in with a plate of nachos. Then, he stretched out on a medical table behind the bench in the third quarter. To top it off, he was the only Cowboy not wearing his jersey on the sideline. That’s the kind of presence that never goes unnoticed.

Now he comes back wearing green and gold. On Sunday, Parsons returns to AT&T for the first time since the trade, and the matchup couldn’t be more different. His old squad is leaking points, giving up 30.7 per game, while Caleb Williams just went untouched by the Dallas pass rush. Meanwhile, Parsons has already made Lambeau his home. In three games, he’s racked up 1.5 sacks, six hurries, five tackles, and a tackle for loss. But most importantly, the Packers are holding opponents to just 14.7 points a game, the best mark in the league.

To understand the weight of this return, just think Luka Doncic. When the Mavericks shipped him to Los Angeles, his first game back in Dallas came with a tribute video and 45 points in a Lakers win. Parsons doesn’t get a tribute, but the stage feels just as loaded.

Jerry Jones knows it, too. Asked about the possibility of Parsons haunting the Cowboys, he said, “I don’t know that we can. Micah’s a great player. I’ll never forget when we didn’t draft Randy Moss; he came in here and scored about three, I think, 50-yard touchdowns and waved at us as he was running by the bench. This old stuff of retribution can get a little dicey sometimes.” That’s the reminder. The Cowboys might not control the ending here.