Matt LaFleur’s 2-Word Message for Micah Parsons as Packers DE Breaks Silence on Debut

It wouldn’t be wrong to say the world held its breath for Micah Parsons’ debut. The defensive end had missed the training camp activities because of his back issues in Dallas. And unfortunately, he carried that to his new home too. The Packers limited him in practice all week and even listed him as questionable on Friday’s (Sept. 5) injury report before finally declaring him active for the game to deliver the most electric performance against the Lions.

The Packers went on to notch an enthralling 27-13 win over their NFC North rival. And Parsons? Despite limited snaps, he came through in the clutch with a late fourth-quarter sack on Jared Goff. Head coach Matt LaFleur was fired up afterward, calling the defensive end’s performance explosive and even likening it to the flash of a shooting star. As Zach Kruse reported, LaFleur called Parsons’ performance “very impactful.”

“That’s why he’s here, right? That was really exciting to see. I definitely know that our crowd reacted the right way as well. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard our crowd much louder than when they introduced him, and certainly on that sack,” the coach said, as per Zach Jacobson.

Parsons lived up to the words of Kobe Bryant’s message pinned on his X account, “A lion has to eat.” But his path was far from easy. He had to face the team that needs no introduction after dominating the NFC over the last two years with one of the league’s most explosive offenses. And matching up against Penei Sewell was no small task.

Parsons applied heavy pressure on Goff, including one play where he drove Sewell directly into Goff, resulting in an interception. Early in the third quarter, he nearly forced another turnover with similar pressure. This was exactly the kind of impact head coach had hinted at. He played 45% of the defensive snaps (29 of 65) as Packers reporter Rob Demovsky reported. The DE recorded three quarterback pressures, which is second-most on the team behind Lucas Van Ness.

And the build-up to this moment, however, was far from calm. In Dallas, the Cowboys wrestled with the sting of losing their pass rusher, while some defended Jerry Jones’ decision to trade him. In Green Bay, the tension was different but no less real. “I just got plenty of faith that this great training staff and the coaches are slowly getting me the plays and getting me things that I need if we decide to give me the green light out there. It’s completely up to the coaches, though,” Parsons said, crediting them for easing him back into action after the trade.

After Parsons’ first padded practice, LaFleur made it clear the pass rusher was capable of what they expected of him. As for the spirits, his rivalry with the Lions carried over from his Cowboys days. “I never liked Detroit. I never liked them. Even when I was in Dallas, it’s always a heavyweight fight, every time they came in,” he said.

Entering Week 1 with enormous expectations on his shoulders, Parsons showed he could handle the weight. The excitement around him isn’t fading anytime soon. The Packers are set to face the Cowboys in September, and while fans continue to gush over his debut, what does Parsons himself think of it?

Micah Parsons got goosebumps in his first game with the Packers

During his interview with Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports, Parsons opened up about his emotions surrounding the game and what it meant to wear a Packers jersey for the first time. “I’m not going to lie, I was a little tired. The snap count was probably justified, but overall I thought we played really well,” Parsons said as starting quarterback Jordan Love stood next to him.

“It gave me chills… This was really just a blessing in disguise. My man J. Love told me it’d be this nice, and nothing he could have said, I couldn’t imagine it to be like this,” he added. The Cowboys had traded Parsons to the Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

With the help of his agent, David Mulugheta, he was finally able to secure a lucrative deal: a four-year, $188 million contract with $120 million fully guaranteed at signing. The agreement made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Now, this deal came after a lengthy contract negotiation drama with Cowboys owner Jones. Following the trade, Parsons even posted on his official X account, “Thank you Dallas … GO Pack Go!”

Well, the Packers certainly have no regrets about their investment. However, Parsons’ former team didn’t have the same win and lost their Week 1 matchup against the Eagles, 24–20. Just like the young Cowboys fan, devastated by the trade, was consoled over a video call by Parsons, the Cowboys themselves may need a boost in motivation as they prepare to face the Giants. Meanwhile, the Packers will head to face the Commanders.