GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Micah Parsons has touched down in Titletown after the blockbuster trade that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said the opportunity to acquire Parsons was rare.
“This is a very unique player that rarely becomes available to us. There's just not a lot of these players at this point in their career where their best football is ahead of them,” Gutekunst said.
While both Gutekunst and Head Coach Matt LaFleur celebrated landing Parsons, they also acknowledged the cost of the deal, which included losing veteran defensive lineman Kenny Clark. LaFleur described Clark as a pro’s pro.
“It is bittersweet when you lose a player, not only of that caliber, but just the type of leader he was for our locker room,” LaFleur said.
Still, LaFleur expressed excitement about what Parsons brings to Green Bay.
He called the defensive end “super versatile” and capable of changing the complexion of a defense.
“He can wreck a game in a hurry,” LaFleur said. “I just know from having to game plan against him, that is something that keeps you up at night.”
LaFleur also recalled noticing Parsons at the 2021 Pro Bowl. While most guys were just going through the motions, he said Parsons was out there trying to wreck people — calling him "the ultimate competitor."
"Whatever it is you're playing, he's going to want to win,” LaFleur said.
Parsons backed that up with his own description of his competitive drive.
“We could go out to shoot hoops. We could go out there and throw a baseball and see who could throw the hardest. We could go run 40-yard sprints. I'll wait until you get tired if you're faster than me. I don't think you'll find someone that's more competitive,” Parsons said.
The new Packer, who will wear No. 1, said he has already heard comparisons to the franchise’s legendary acquisition of Reggie White.
“I just looked at him like somebody who won," Parsons said. "He came here, he can do that. I think I can do that too. I looked on that wall and I saw a Brett Favre. I saw Reggie. I saw all those legends and I was like ‘I gotta be there.'"
As for his availability for Week One, Parsons said physically, he is great.
“The Packers didn’t give up what they gave up just for me to sit on the sidelines,” he said.
Parsons added that he received his iPad on Friday and is going to start learning the scheme. He said he is eager to get back on the football field next week.
