The entire state of Wisconsin rejoiced when the Green Bay Packers made the biggest move of the offseason by sending Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys for star edge rusher Micah Parsons. The Packers have been on the verge of Super Bowl contention for years now, and with Jordan Love entering his prime, they felt they were an elite pass rusher away from truly contending. Now, they’ve got one, and they’re off to a 5-1-1 start.

Packers legend LeRoy Butler was one of the millions of people celebrating the trade. Talking to EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview, Butler shared his joy, comparing it to the emotions he felt when he proposed to his wife, “The last time I was this happy was when I proposed to my wife, and she said yes. As a guy who wants to win a Super Bowl, thank you, God! We got Micah Parsons. I was beyond excited because a lot of our fans thought we wouldn’t be able to sign somebody like that. A lot went into that, and I was extremely excited.”

During his time with the Packers, Butler lined up on the same field as Reggie White, one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history, for six years. During their six years together, Butler watched White log 68.5 sacks and force 13 fumbles in the regular season alone. He’s seen what an elite pass rusher can do to a defense firsthand.

This duo also helped the Packers win the third Super Bowl in franchise history in 1996-1997. In that season, the Packers’ defense allowed just 17 points per game in the regular season and 16 points per game in the postseason. White logged 8.5 sacks in the regular season and had three in the Super Bowl alone. Butler himself added 6.5 sacks from the strong safety position.

Needless to say, Butler knows a thing or two about great pass rushers and just how impactful they can be to a game. He knew the Packers had the pieces to win a Super Bowl this year; they just needed a way to get after the quarterback consistently, and Parsons has brought that to the team.

In seven games with the Packers, Parsons has already racked up 42 pressures (T-2nd in NFL), 27 hurries (5th), eight QB hits (T-10th), and 6.5 sacks (6th). He also has the fourth-best pass rush win rate (24.8 percent) in the league. He’s doing all of that while being double-teamed or chipped more often than not. He’s the game-changer the Packers have been searching for.

Butler makes bold predictions for the Packers

With their shiny new toy on defense, Butler believes the Packers can make it to the Super Bowl this year. He believes they’re one of five teams that have a legitimate shot of making it to the big game, and he also believes Jordan Love should be an MVP candidate.

“I’m excited,” Butler exclaimed. “They’re one of five teams that can make it to the Super Bowl. So that’s what I’m expecting, and I expect our quarterback, Jordan Love, to be an MVP candidate.”

Through seven games, the Packers certainly seem to be in contention. They’re 5-1-1 and are coming off a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

Offensively, the Packers rank fifth in the NFL in points per game (27.6). Love is having the best season of his career to date, throwing for 1,798 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 71 percent of his passes. Josh Jacobs is also having a great year, having rushed for 447 yards and nine touchdowns through seven games.

However, the defense has been the difference.

The Packers are allowing 21.4 points per game, which ranks 10th in the league. Parsons has 6.5 sacks, but it’s actually his teammate, Rashan Gary, who leads the team with 7.5 sacks. He’s taking full advantage of all the attention offenses are paying to Parsons, and the two now form one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league.

Like many Packers fans, Butler believes this is the year the Packers can finally make it back to the Super Bowl. If they’re able to do so, it will be in large part due to the trade they made with the Cowboys this offseason to acquire one of the best edge rushers in the league, Micah Parsons.

We’ll have to wait to find out if Butler’s prediction comes to fruition, but for now, it’s looking like it has a good chance to come true.