Just by virtue of having Micah Parsons on your football team, you have to feel pretty solid about your chances of competing at the highest level. But for everything he's offering on the football field, the Green Bay Packers and their fans are learning just how much of an impact he can make off the field, all the while.
The 27-year-old superstar may be sidelined for the start of the 2026 NFL season, but that doesn't mean he won't be contributing to the team. While predicting the division standings of every NFL team for Bleacher Report, Green Bay's star defensive end made the elaborate case as to why the Packers should reclaim the NFC North this season:
"We were the No. 1 team for 12 straight weeks. Do we have to finish? Yes, we do. We have to get everyone healthy and we're going to be back on the field," Parsons said. "We have young guys all over the field, and that's ready to play to good football. And yes, I will be back, and we will be ready to dominate whoever is in front of us."
Aside from those comments, Parsons went into detail about some of the key players who he believes will make a splash for the green and gold this year, from newcomers on the defense like Zaire Franklin and Brandon Cisse to what he calls the best safety duo in the NFL between Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams.
The Green Bay Packers' path back to the top of the NFC North is bright, as illuminated by Micah Parsons.
If you replayed the 2025 season 100 times, I'd imagine the final result we saw in Green Bay would not be replicated easily. From key untimely injuries to minor details that led to their demise, the Packers were not in control of most factors that derailed their season. With that said, the team did everything within its power to position itself for success in 2026, from bolstering the defense in the draft and free agency to securing its most trusted offensive playmakers on new contracts.
micahWithout Parsons in the lineup to begin the season, the rest of the Packers defense will be forced to step up. As the team finds its footing without a superstar edge rusher, it'll develop habits and strategies to string together wins, making it much easier for that unit to thrive once he returns.
Meanwhile, it'll be very difficult for the division rival Chicago Bears to replicate their success of last season, as the heart of their winning record was their ability to force turnovers — one of the most volatile stat categories in football. Between that and their reliance on a very young, unproven offensive core, the Bears will have a hard time getting back to 11 wins.
The Lions are the sleeping giant that needs to be watched closely, but their coaching staff isn't what it used to be and they face the same issue as Chicago offensively, where they're relying on youth more than ever. That could be a tough adjustment for a team with a veteran quarterback and hard-nosed, detail-oriented coach in Dan Campbell. And as for the Minnesota Vikings? Who knows. That team has been a mess and will be considered as such until they prove otherwise.
So like every year, the race to the top of the NFC North is not going to be an easy one, but the pathway for the Packers to reclaim the top spot in their division is clear as day. They just need to stay health and execute their game plan to get there.
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