Sophia
As Micah Parsons prepares for a highly anticipated return to Dallas this week, the Green Bay Packers’ defensive end has been putting up jaw-dropping pressure numbers, despite consistently facing double and even triple teams. His impact is undeniable, fundamentally altering offensive strategies across the league.
The Parsons Effect: More Than Just Sacks
When asked about expectations for his star pass rusher, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley didn’t hesitate. “Triple teams,” Hafley interjected, emphasizing the extraordinary attention Parsons commands. Since his acquisition from the Dallas Cowboys last month, Parsons has been everything the Packers envisioned, and more.
According to Next Gen Stats, Parsons ranks second in the NFL with 19 pressures. What makes this figure even more remarkable is the constant defensive attention he draws. Pro Football Focus reports that Parsons has been double-teamed on a staggering 67.0 percent of his pass rushes, second only to Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (69.6 percent). Even more telling, Parsons is the only edge rusher with at least 40 pass-rushing opportunities to be triple-teamed more than 10 percent of the time (11.3 percent).
“People don’t realize how hard it is to get sacks in the NFL,” Parsons candidly stated on Wednesday. “We all don’t get freebies, at least I’m not in that world. So, I got to work for them.”
Elevating the Entire Defense
Parsons’ presence has almost single-handedly transformed the Packers’ pass rush into an elite unit. Last season, Green Bay tied for 18th in the NFL with 210 pressures and a pressure rate of 32.3 percent. This season, with Parsons leading the charge, the Packers are sixth with 49 pressures, on pace for 277. While their pressure percentage has modestly increased to 36.6 percent, the real impact is seen in opponent strategy: forced into quicker passes, Green Bay now boasts the No. 1 ranking in yards allowed per passing play (4.0), a full 2.0 yards less than last season.
Hafley elaborated on the strategic advantage Parsons creates: “If he’s going to get double-teamed and triple-teamed, we’re going to have a lot of guys with a lot of sacks and a lot of pressures, and we’re going to start drawing up some fun stuff that’s going to force them either not to double him, or we’re going to have someone free, like we did a couple times in that game.”
“So, him getting doubled helps us out an unbelievable amount. Now, when you watch him get doubled, he still gets close to the quarterback, which is incredible. The motor that he has, how hard he plays, how low he gets [is impressive]. But there’s some other guys out there now you start paying too much attention to him.”
This attention on Parsons has opened doors for his teammates. Rashan Gary leads the NFL with 4.5 sacks, Lukas Van Ness is on pace for more pressures this season than his first two combined, and Devonte Wyatt ranks second among interior defenders in pressures, according to PFF.
“And then you have Edgerrin Cooper, who might be popping out and wrapping this way, and Quay Walker, who might be coming off the edge this way,” Hafley added, highlighting the versatility. “So, go double him. He might still get you. And then the other guys are going to get you, too.”
A Homecoming Showdown: Parsons vs. Cowboys
While Parsons downplayed the emotional aspect of facing his former team, it’s only natural for him to want to make a statement against the Cowboys, a team that intimately understands his game-wrecking capabilities.
“I got a great challenge in front of me,” Parsons acknowledged. “I know they’re not going to make it easy for me. I know they got a plan for me, but it’s not about me. If they worry about me, I got other guys. I got D-Wy, I got Karl (Brooks), I got Rashan, who’s dominating this year, so we got a group of guys that they need to focus on, so I have that to my advantage.”
NFL’s Best Pass Rushers in 2025: The Numbers Don’t Lie
The following players lead the NFL in pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. Rashan Gary, the league’s sacks leader, is also included. Double-team rates are from Pro Football Focus, illustrating the immense challenge these athletes overcome.
- Nik Bonitto, Broncos: 21 pressures. Pressure rate: 31.3 percent. Double-team rate: 29.6 percent.
- Micah Parsons, Packers: 19 pressures. Pressure rate: 21.8 percent. Double-team rate: 65.7 percent.
- Dorance Armstrong, Commanders: 18 pressures. Pressure rate: 25.0 percent. Double-team rate: 46.0 percent.
- YaYa Diaby, Buccaneers: 18 pressures. Pressure rate: 21.4 percent. Double-team rate: 35.2 percent.
- Will Anderson, Texans: 17 pressures. Pressure rate: 19.3 percent. Double-team rate: 51.6 percent.
- Josh Hines-Allen, Jaguars: 16 pressures. Pressure rate: 17.4 percent. Double-team rate: 23.4 percent.
- Rashan Gary, Packers: 12 pressures. Pressure rate: 13.6 percent. Double-team rate: 47.4 percent.
NFL’s Premier Edge Rushers in 2025
Micah Parsons is widely considered among the top pass rushers in the NFL, a sentiment echoed by the company he keeps on this list:
- Micah Parsons, Packers: 19 pressures. Pressure rate: 21.8 percent. Double-team rate: 65.7 percent.
- Trey Hendrickson, Bengals: 15 pressures. Pressure rate: 16.3 percent. Double-team rate: 56.0 percent.
- Aidan Hutchinson, Lions: 13 pressures. Pressure rate: 14.9 percent. Double-team rate: 60.0 percent.
- Myles Garrett, Browns: 12 pressures. Pressure rate: 16.0 percent. Double-team rate: 69.6 percent.
- T.J. Watt, Steelers: 12 pressures. Pressure rate: 14.5 percent. Double-team rate: 41.0 percent.
- Maxx Crosby, Raiders: 12 pressures. Pressure rate: 11.4 percent. Double-team rate: 40.6 percent.
- Danielle Hunter, Texans: 11 pressures. Pressure rate: 12.0 percent. Double-team rate: 62.5 percent.
- Nick Bosa, 49ers: 10 pressures. Pressure rate: 16.1 percent. Double-team rate: 45.5 percent.
The Untapped Potential: A Work in Progress
As impressive as Parsons has been, both statistically and visually, there’s a sense that even greater things are on the horizon as Hafley continues to learn how to maximize his talents. The challenge of integrating Parsons mid-season meant that the crucial training camp period for developing chemistry and tailored schemes was missed.
“We see what he does in games, we see what he’s good at, and we have been building off of that and the players, too, working together,” Hafley explained. He provided an example of the ongoing adjustments: “There was a pressure that we ran where he was set up to run it with another player, but he went so fast – and he’s so fast – that it really, looking back, wasn’t the right spot to put him in. So, on that call, we’ve learned it’s better to let him do something else on that because of how fast he did it, right?”
“So, what I’m saying is, as we watch him live, because it’s faster than practice, there are certain things that we’re tweaking, and him and the linebackers and him and the other defensive lineman are figuring out how to work well together. So, I see that getting better and better as we go.”
The synergy between Parsons and the rest of the Packers’ defense is still evolving, promising an even more formidable unit as the season progresses. While the sack totals might not always reflect it, Micah Parsons is unequivocally wrecking game plans, and the league is taking notice.
