The blockbuster trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers sent shockwaves through the NFL. From shocked Dallas fans to frustrated former Cowboys teammates and experts suggesting the Packers are now the team to beat in the NFC, the deal has affected the balance of power around the league.
But how will it affect the Packers and their three NFC North foes, the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings? We asked our beat reporters to break down the trade’s ramifications within the division. Here’s what they said.
How the deal affects the Packers
Before the Packers made the deal for Parsons, you’d have a hard time convincing anyone they should’ve been ahead of the Lions in preseason NFC North projections. You could make a case that Green Bay should’ve been ahead of the Vikings, if only because Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a relative unknown. Still, the Packers must close the gap on the field — not just on paper — between themselves and the two teams that went a combined 4-0 against Green Bay last season.
Now, you can reasonably argue that the Packers are the favorites to win the division after they addressed perhaps the weakest part of the roster with one of the best pass rushers of the last five years. Bridging that difference on the field just became much more realistic with Parsons and Rashan Gary, a No. 1 pass rusher in his own right, flying off the edge for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The Packers ranked sixth in the NFL last season in scoring defense, sixth in yards allowed per game and fourth in takeaways. However, they only had nine sacks combined in six games against the Lions, Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, including the playoffs. Adding a player on a Hall of Fame trajectory with three All-Pro nods in his first four seasons isn’t a bad solution. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat reporter
How the deal affects the Bears
In 16 career games against the Bears, Kenny Clark had six sacks, eight tackles for loss and 15 QB hits. That’s a Pro Bowl season if you ask me. They have to be thrilled to get him out of the division! Do you know how many combined sacks, tackles for loss and QB hits Micah Parsons had in his lone matchup with the Bears? Zero. All he was able to muster was four tackles and … a 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
Fact of the day: @MicahhParsons11 was a running back in high school. And you can tell from this touchdown return! 😤
📺: @NFLonFOX | #CHIvsDAL pic.twitter.com/6l8EU3vHwU
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 30, 2022
OK, snark aside, eyebrows had to be raised throughout Halas Hall on Thursday afternoon. That whole left tackle competition that isn’t officially resolved? Well, now, whoever that guy is has to face Parsons twice a year. He’s a game wrecker and will presumably attack what will likely be considered the weak link along the Bears’ offensive line, which happens to protect Caleb Williams’ blind side. That player will likely be Braxton Jones in Week 1, but we’ll see if he’s still manning that spot on Dec. 7, the first Bears-Packers matchup of the season.
There are two common fan critiques of general manager Ryan Poles’ offseason: He didn’t land a surefire starting left tackle, and he didn’t do more at pass rusher other than signing Dayo Odeyingbo. Seeing Parsons go to the Packers made it a field day for local sports talk-radio callers.
There are no players or coaches left from the Bears’ 2018 team, but anyone in the building and fans outside it remember what the Khalil Mack trade did, catapulting the franchise to its only division title in the past decade and a half, including a win over the Packers at Soldier Field to clinch it. The Packers were the runners-up for Mack that year. Now they have the game-changing player, and he just gave them another edge in what has already been a lopsided rivalry. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat reporter
How the deal affects the Lions
Parsons to the Packers was a double-whammy for the Lions. For starters, they now must face one of the most talented defensive players in the league twice a year. Not to mention Parsons reset the edge market at $47 million annually — a $6 million jump from the previous record — as the Lions are in discussions with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Knowing Detroit’s preference to get deals done early to save money, it’s certainly possible the ball is in Hutchinson’s court, with his camp waiting for Parsons to get across the finish line. If Hutchinson wants to be the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB when he signs, there’s a new number to hit.
As for what this means for the 2025 season, well, the NFC North just got a whole lot more interesting, didn’t it? The Packers have made a seismic move to acquire an elite talent. Parsons makes the defenders around him better while making life hell for opposing tackles.
Let’s talk about how these teams will match up. The Lions have one of the better tackle duos in the league in Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker. Their questions along the offensive line are more on the interior, with two first-year starters at guard.
Additionally, as part of this deal, the Packers traded run-stuffing defensive tackle and three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark to the Cowboys. That’s great news for David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Clark was a difference-maker in the interior, and there’s no immediate replacement for him on the roster. And while the Packers have some talent in the secondary with All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney and impressive youngster Evan Williams, their outside corners could have trouble with Lions receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Whatever the case, this division figures to be competitive again in 2025, and a move like this isolates the Lions and Packers as the two favorites. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat reporter
Micah Parsons harasses Lions quarterback Jared Goff during a 2022 matchup. (Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)
How the deal affects the Vikings
The Vikings did not overhaul their offensive line with Micah Parsons in mind. But this is just another reason they’ll be glad they did.
The team signed center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries via free agency. It also drafted left guard Donovan Jackson in the first round. These three, in tandem with left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill, give Minnesota the best chance it has had in years to hold up against dominant pass rushes.
Stunts, specifically, have been an issue in recent years. A key component of all three additions is their processing ability, meaning their skill set to pick up movement on the fly. Parsons thrives in this vein. His twitch would have also given past Vikings offensive lines major trouble. This one stands a chance at holding up.
So as it relates to the Vikings-Packers matchups for 2025, can Green Bay’s cornerbacks hold up against Minnesota’s elite receiving corps? The teams won’t play each other until Week 12, which means the Vikings should have both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Parsons’ inclusion should prevent the Packers cornerbacks from having to run with Jefferson and Addison for too long, but if the Vikings can block up front, what are the odds Carrington Valentine, Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon can keep the Vikings’ explosiveness in check?
Kenny Clark’s absence should also be noted here. Clark gave the Vikings problems as an interior defender for years. Youngsters Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks are intriguing, but neither is as proven as Clark. This isn’t to mitigate what Parsons’ presence will mean, but it will be a welcome sight for Minnesota’s offensive staff not to have to ponder ways to work around Clark moving forward. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat reporter
(Photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)