GREEN BAY – Jeff Hafley was sitting in his Lambeau Field office last Thursday when Matt LaFleur walked in with a phone call for his defensive coordinator.
No words need be spoken. No explanation required. Only the smile on the face of the Packers head coach that Hafley quickly mirrored as he deduced who was on the other end of the line.
It was indeed Micah Parsons, the three-time All-Pro who was headed to Green Bay following a blockbuster trade with Dallas. The generational pass rusher every NFL team covets was now a resident of Hafley’s defense.
“That’s really how I found out,” said Hafley on Thursday. “It’s all of a sudden Micah Parsons walks in the building and it’s game week and my mind starts going 100 miles an hour on all the ways that you can use him.”
Hafley was part of the team’s envoy at Austin-Straubel Airport when Parsons flew into Green Bay to complete one of the biggest trades in franchise history last Friday.
All Hafley has done in week that has followed is prepare for Sunday’s home opener against Detroit and crunch Parsons’ tape, watching every single pressure the 6-foot-3, 250-pound pass rusher has generated in his four Pro Bowl seasons.
That’s 335 pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats – good for a league-best 21.1% pressure rate since 2021. Asked what that process has been like, Hafley responded in a single word.
“Fun,” said the second-year defensive coordinator before elaborating. “You just turn on his pressure tape and the guy can win. The guy can win with speed. The guy can win by going through a tackle. The guy can win coming inside and win fast. The guy’s won on guards, he’s won on centers, he won as a standup linebacker. So just turn on the highlight film and have fun.”
Parsons has been one of the NFL’s most versatile and dangerous pass rushers since he broke into the league in 2021, producing 112 quarterback hits and 52½ sacks in 63 regular-season starts.
As excited as Hafley is to welcome that type of game-wrecker to his defense, the Packers and Parsons are in the midst of a transitionary period right now.
The 26-year-old pass rusher is not only learning the Packers’ scheme on short notice but also working through a back injury that sidelined him throughout training camp.
Parsons reported progress in both areas after being a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. Champing at the bit to play but also seeing the big picture, Parsons has worked closely with the training staff during his ramp-up period.
He’s participated in all three practices this week but leaving his availability for Sunday’s opener against the Lions “completely up to the coaches” and athletic trainers to decide.
“Once I get out there, I’m just gonna wanna go,” Parsons said. “At the same time, I do have to get healthy, I do have to do all those little things to make sure there’s a longevity piece in this. It is 18 weeks. There are hopes for playoff run and a long playoff run, so we have to think about that and make sure that everything is good to go.”
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