Matt LaFleur Addresses Uncomfortable Truth After Micah Parsons’ $186M Packers Trade

In 2019, Matt LaFleur stepped into Green Bay with Kenny Clark as his defensive anchor, his one constant when nearly everything else seemed up in the air. Now, after months of contract holdouts, game-wrecking stats, and front-office wheeling and dealing, it’s Micah Parsons who headlines the roster. Clark, the last man standing from LaFleur’s hire, is gone. A reality that sits heavily despite the excitement over Parsons. 

LaFleur isn’t hiding from it, either. He calls Parsons a “rare, rare, rare opportunity,” but admits, “It’s extremely bittersweet because Kenny Clark was the last player on the roster when I got hired”. This isn’t just another off-season shuffle. This is the Packers ripping away the safety net, betting big, and hoping the return covers the cost.

On Aug 30, Matt LaFleur, who’s usually an unfazed Packers head coach, didn’t flinch. “I’m very confident. I feel like, just in our conversations, that’s one thing [Brian Gutekunst] and I talked about. We had six guys on the inside on our roster. And I think situationally, there’s other guys you can kick inside as well,” LaFleur said. The HC doubled down on his belief in the team’s roster depth, but there’s no mistaking the sting. That “bittersweet” feeling hangs over his confidence, and the lasting image here is a coach forced to say goodbye to the only holdover from his arrival – Kenny Clark. 

Let’s put it plainly. Kenny Clark’s void came quicker than a Lambeau Leap in January. The team just lost a defender who played at least 70% of the snaps every year from his second season onward until last season’s relentless toe injury. Now, with TJ Slaton gone in free agency and Clark shipped to Dallas, the Packers are staring at a cliff with no parachute.

And yet, Matt LaFleur shrugs off the crisis. It isn’t arrogance, it’s calculated confidence. Devonte Wyatt is now the most seasoned interior defender, but he’s spent 56.8% of his snaps at three-tech, not nose tackle. Next is Karl Brooks. He’s another three-tech specialist, with not much run-stuffing ability. According to Pro Football Focus, his 37.0 run defense grade ranked 96th in 2024.

Colby Wooden is the likeliest candidate to take Clark’s old spot, at least in Week 1. He bulked up to over 290 lbs, took first-team nose reps in camp, and started in the preseason finale. And, yes, his stats aren’t eye-popping – just 37 career tackles, three tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks. But his training camp buzz could mean he’s finally ready for a big leap.

Meanwhile, the rookies lurk. Warren Brinson has the size (6-5, 315 pounds), but he’s more B-gap than nose. Nazir Stackhouse? He’s the Packers’ underdog, now a 327-lb gap-plugger who mirrors Slaton’s frame. Stackhouse looks promising, but earning LaFleur’s trust won’t happen overnight. It’s a patchwork, and LaFleur’s got no choice but to roll with what he’s got. But while Green Bay fans mourn Clark, they’re not exactly losing sleep over their new All-Pro edge rusher.

Green Bay’s gamble: Micah Parsons for the future

Micah Parsons arrives as the NFL’s pressure king, with at least 12 sacks every season since 2021 and a pressure rate that makes left tackles need therapy (335 pressures, 21.1% rate per Next Gen Stats). Packers HC Matt LaFleur said Parsons can “wreck a game in a hurry” and “change the whole complexion of your defense,” and the numbers back it up.

On top of that, Parsons denied the Cowboys’ $202.5 million offer, pushed for a trade, and ended up with a four-year, $186 million pact in Green Bay. The deal hands Parsons $136 million in guarantees, $44 million up front, with all his 2025 and 2026 salaries locked in. It’s everything a generational pass rusher wants.

Dallas may be nursing heartbreak, but the Packers landed a franchise-altering disruptor. Sure, it cost them Kenny Clark. But in exchange, Green Bay gets Parsons unleashed alongside Rashan Gary, a potential pass-rush duo that could put NFC quarterbacks on notice. The Packers now boast young attacking talent. A star-studded defensive front, and an offense led by Jordan Love that’s out to make noise.