The Green Bay Packers are riding high entering Week 3 as everything has gone their way to start the 2025 season. From the absolute steal of a deal they made with the Dallas Cowboys to acquire Micah Parsons to their convincing wins over a pair of playoff teams from the 2024 campaign, there are plenty of reasons for cheeseheads across Wisconsin to feel good about their team.
The same has to be said for those inside the locker room, as well. One of the first things that Parsons did upon arriving in Green Bay was to send a message to the secondary about the success he expects them to have this season. While the sample size has only been two games, the All-Pro pass rusher is already proving to be a man of his word.
Micah Parsons Already Making Good on Promise to Packers Secondary
As much as an elite secondary can help make a team's pass rush more effective, the same can be said about an elite pass rusher's impact on the secondary behind him. This has been the case for Parsons throughout his career, and he was quick to make note of that fact when speaking with the media following the blockbuster trade Green Bay made with Dallas.
“I’m going to tell them this: I’ve never not had a Pro Bowl or All-Pro corner,” Parsons said, via Bill Huber of Green Bay Packers on SI. “So, that should mean something to them. I’m going to make them a lot of money.”
There is still plenty of football left to be played before any real conclusions can be made about the way position groups, or even individual players, perform this season. It is hard not to notice the difference Parsons has had on the secondary through two games, as that unit is performing at an extremely high level.
I will be the first to say that Pro Football Focus scores aren't the be-all-end-all when it comes to player evaluation. It is hard not to acknowledge the fact that advanced metrics show that since Parsons arrived in Green Bay, two of their defensive backs are among the best the NFL has to offer at the position.
Through two games, Packers DB Keisean Nixon is the No. 2-ranked cornerback in the NFL with a PFF score of 85.2. His running mate in the secondary, Carrington Valentine, has been a standout in his own right with a PFF score of 79.3, which ranks No. 5 in the NFL. With offseason acquisition Nate Hobbs still getting his feet wet in his return from injury, Green Bay's secondary should only improve from this point forward.
While Hobbs is locked up on a four-year, $48 million deal he signed earlier this year when joining the Packers, both Nixon and Valentine have one year remaining on their current deals after the 2025 season. If those two can keep this pace up for the rest of the regular season, Parsons' prediction will come true as those two will be in line for substantial paydays of their own.