Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
6 4 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T wo games into his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, even for- mer Penn State All-American and three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons is probably surprised by how well it's go- ing. Parsons, who had his trade request honored by the Dallas Cowboys shortly before the start of the 2025 NFL season, is not yet playing as many snaps as pos- sible following an offseason in which he did limited work while waiting for a new contract. He was electric in Green Bay's 28-17 Thursday Night Football win over the Washington Commanders on Sept. 12, finishing with 2 tackles, 3 quarterback hits, and an assisted sack in his team's second win of the season. Parsons often does much more than what the stat sheet indicates, and that was the case in Week 2. He constantly harassed second-year Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels and drew a holding penalty on the Commanders. There's no doubt he could have drawn more. "What I've been telling everyone is that defense wins championships," Parsons said on Sept. 11, per NFL.com. "[When quarterback Jordan] Love gives us 20 points, we should be able to win that game. It's all about getting stops and getting the ball back to the offense. "As you all have seen against Balti- more and Buffalo, you can have a quar- terback damn near have a perfect game and still lose because the defense just gave up, what, 40 points? So, defense wins championships. I think the fans like points and they like to see the big plays, but when you play great defense it's just so beautiful to see." Through two weeks, Parsons has 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. After Green Bay sent defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to Dallas, it gave Parsons a four- year, $186 million deal, of which $136 million is guaranteed. Parsons' role only figures to grow as he gets closer and closer to his normal game shape, starting with a meeting against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 21. That ought to scare opponents this year, because the still-ramping-up ver- sion is pretty darn good. "I just hope I'm full-go," Parsons said. "Honestly, it's p---ing me off. Hope- fully they just let me off. Can't hold a dog back forever. "The best defenses do it consistently. Consistency equals greatness. We had a great start, so I'm just happy about that. We can be a great defense. It's just up to us to continue to push and strive for that." FORMER NITTANY LIONS IN THE NFL As of Sept. 15 Saquon Barkley (Played at Penn State from 2015-17), RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Barkley has not yet had one of his signature highlight plays, but his Eagles are off to a 2-0 start with a Week 2 win in their Super Bowl rematch with Kansas City. The veteran running back had 40 carries for 148 yards and a touch- down over the first two weeks. Ryan Bates (2016-18), OL, Chicago Bears: Bates has only received special teams work so far this season. He has received a total of 8 snaps over two games. Micah Parsons Off To Encouraging Start With Packers G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Green Bay gave up a player and two first-round draft picks to land Parsons. The former Nittany Lion All-American signed a four-year, $186 million contract with the Packers just before the season began. PHOTO COURTESY GREEN BAY PACKERS