Starting with Air Ball, Micah Parsons’ Packers Debut Was Slam Dunk

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Micah Parsons’ Green Bay Packers debut lived up to the hype.

Even if it started with an air ball.

The Packers, like every other team, have a pregame routine. Apparently, the coaches and players were too busy filling Parsons in on the playbook to give him the details. So, Parsons came out of the tunnel for warmups to thunderous cheers but ran to the wrong spot. So, he was late to the opening segment, when the defensive linemen get in a three-point stance and sprint upfield.

“I didn’t know nothing,” Parsons said after the Packers routed the Detroit Lions 27-13 on Sunday. “Usually in camp, they tell you how they’re going to warm up and everything. But they told me, we don’t do no warmups here [on the field], we kind of do it in the indoor [facility].

So, when I got out there, I went over to where the Cowboys used to go, the far right end zone, that’s where the D-line went, and they were just like, ‘You’re on the wrong side.’ So, I had to run to the other side. I definitely was lost; no one told me.”

After some position drills to get the blood moving, the pregame warmups end with a series of plays in 11-on-11. For years, the starting defense has huddled behind the ball before breaking it with everyone simulating a fadeaway jump shot.

Parsons had no idea; he quickly did something that looked like a basketball shot after seeing everyone else do it.

Parsons learning on the fly. pic.twitter.com/uKyaImsfvS
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 7, 2025

“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” he said.

It was mostly smooth sailing from there, though. Coach Matt LaFleur decided to have the starting defense introduced before the game. Logically, for dramatic effect, LaFleur chose to have Parsons introduced last.

“LaFleur called me last night and we’re going to put you last, and we’re going to give you that embrace that you deserve,” Parsons said. “That’s pretty sick that they put that together for me.”

Introducing… pic.twitter.com/yREdSFGoDW
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 7, 2025

If Lambeau Field had a roof, the noise would have blown it off.

“I don’t know if I’ve heard our crowd much louder than when they introduced him,” LaFleur said.

Green Bay’s offense started with the ball and drove to the opening touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Parsons didn’t start on defense but was on the field for the opening third-and-7. With Parsons applying the pressure, Jared Goff was forced to check the ball into the flat for a 2-yard loss and three-and-out punt.

After not practicing during training camp due to a contract standoff with the Cowboys and arriving in Green Bay last Friday, Parsons was remarkably effective considering this was his first real football activity since Dallas’ season finale last season against the Giants eight months ago. He played 29 snaps – too many, in LaFleur’s opinion – and had one sack and, according to Next Gen Stats, three pressures.

“Physically, obviously draining,” Parsons said. “That was like my first game of just constant snaps, repetition, things like that so, obviously, I got to recover, do everything I need to do to get ready for Thursday [against the Commanders].

“But emotionally, I couldn’t be more happy to get my first win in Lambeau, having amazing fans, just everything overall – it was just a one-of-one experience for me. I told J-Love, that’s our first win and I can’t wait to keep stacking. We got a long way to go.”

Parsons helped make arguably the biggest play of the game. With Green Bay up 17-3 late in the first half, the Lions drove into the red zone. With a touchdown on that possession and with the ball to start the second half, the Packers’ commanding lead could have been gone in a hurry.

Instead, on third-and-7, Parsons blew inside of two-time first-team All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell and forced a wayward pass by Goff, which was intercepted by Evan Williams.

“He definitely has an aura about him,” LaFleur said. “His style of play fits with our other guys, and I think all those guys are excited to play with him. And they all benefit from that.”

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Parsons’ impact ran deeper than Williams’ interception. Late in the third quarter, Parsons was on the field for a sack split between Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness. Midway through the fourth quarter, he was on the field for Gary’s fourth-down sack. Finally, on second down with about 4 minutes to go, Parsons turned on the jets and ran down Goff for a loss of 4.

“It looked like a speed of light or a shooting star just coming out of the sky and closing ground fast,” LaFleur said. “That’s why he’s here, right? That was really exciting to see.”

Said quarterback Jordan Love: “Oh, man, it’s insane. I saw Jared breaking right, and I don’t even know if he knew Micah was coming, but we all saw him, so I was hoping that he would hold onto the ball right there and Micah would be able to get to him and hopefully have a strip-sack. But Micah was flying right there and it just shows you his motor. …

“I’m glad he was able to get his first sack here in his first start here in Lambeau, stuff he’s going to keep building on. I just feel like his presence out there was different. The energy he brought to the crowd when they announced his name and then to able to get that sack was big time.”

It wasn’t all Parsons, obviously, but he had a hand in holding the Lions to less than 200 yards and keeping them out of the end zone until the final minutes.

“I’m just happy,” Parsons said. “I think it’s back to what football needs to be. The trade is done, we got a win, we’re 1-0. Now I’m around some really great guys, some really great guys, a really great organization, a really great fan base and a really great football team. So, now we can put all of the nonsense beside.

“I’m healthy, I’m able to get off the field and get ready for another game Thursday night and just keep trying to win games and just be what ball’s about.”

After a long and drawn-out divorce from the Cowboys, Parsons’ Packers debut couldn’t have gone any better. He said he should be “full go” by the end of the month. When he’s fully integrated into Green Bay’s defense, back in football shape and past his back injury, what he can do with his new teammates will be “scary,” he said.

“I’m telling you, these last six months were super-draining, super-toxic for everyone,” Parsons said. “It’s something that I don’t think no player should have to go through. I think players’ fates should be decided earlier. I think the fact that I was traded a week before the season was really outrageous and rough.

“It’s something where I could’ve been with these guys getting better and better, and we could’ve had probably an even more dominant start if that was the decision we were going to make. I’m just happy that’s behind. These guys embraced me, they believe in my talents, they believed in me, and I’m just going to give these guys everything I have because I know what’s at stake, I know what they gave up for me to be here, and I’m going to do what it takes for us to win.”

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