Bear Digest

Micah Parsons does his best Caleb Williams impression to prepare for Bears

The Packers edge rusher tried his hand at mimicking Williams' scrambling in practice to prepare for Sunday's game.
Khari Thompson|
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws the ball against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws the ball against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, new-come to the Bears-Packers rivalry, has gotten in on the fun with some spicy talk about Chicago not bending the knee to their division foes.

“I just don’t like them because I just see the disrespect that comes from the Bears,” he told reporters earlier this week. “I play for respect. You to earn somebody’s respect.”

If you say so.

But don’t let all that tough talk coming out of Parsons’ mouth fool you. He might not like the Bears now that he’s in the division, but he definitely respects them.

In particular, you can tell he’s not taking the challenge of defending second-year quarterback Caleb Williams lightly.

We’ve seen past teams employ a variety of strategies for corraling Williams, who’s established himself as the preeminent sack-escape artist in the NFL just two years into his career. 

Apparently, Parsons thought the task of keeping Williams in the pocket so daunting that he took it on himself to help his defense prepare—by pretending to be Williams.

There he was at Packers practice Thursday, running around in circles as his teammates attempted to keep him contained, bouncing off of would-be tackles with the chaotic energy of a newborn kitten.

Watching Parsons do this is entertaining because Williams, unlike Parsons, is not 6-3, 250 pounds, nor does he run a 4.4 40-yard dash. The concept of Green Bay’s (arguably) most freakish athlete mimicking Williams feels like another sign of respect.

Of course, preparing for it is one thing. Playing against it is another. Williams has become a more decisive scrambler as a second-year player, taking fewer chances in the pocket after making his initial escape. Plus, his bag of tricks, both inside the tackle box and outside of it, are deeper than you think. 

Everyone thinks they have the answer for Williams until they discover just how hard he is to sack. Parsons is one of the best pass rushers in football and will certainly pose a problem for both Darnell Wright and Ozzy Trapilo in this one. But Williams has a way of making magic, just as he did last year in the season finale. Let’s see if he can make Parsons and the Packers look silly once again.

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Khari Thompson
KHARI THOMPSON

Khari Thompson is a veteran journalist with bylines in NPR, USA TODAY, and others. He’s been covering the Chicago Bears since 2016 for a variety of outlets and served as a New England Patriots beat reporter for Boston.com and WEEI 93.7 FM. When he’s not writing about football, he still enjoys playing it.

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