The Detroit Lions watched the Green Bay Packers come out of nowhere last year and make a blockbuster trade for superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons. Green Bay gave up two first-round picks and Kenny Clark, which was a shrewd move, as the Packers’ defensive tackle spot wasn’t great.
That said, the trade worked out well for the Packers, and the Lions saw that up close as Green Bay swept the two-game regular season series. But things went sideways for the Packers late in the season as Parsons suffered a torn ACL. It didn’t deter Green Bay from making the playoffs, but their defense took a step back, and now it's possible they won’t have him for the start of this upcoming season.
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Parsons is “expected to miss the first three or four games of the season” due to rehabbing from his ACL. This news doesn’t come as a shock, considering his injury happened in December, but it's a cautionary tale for the Lions, especially with their fanbase craving for GM Brad Holmes to make a splash for a star pass rusher.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Trade Continuing to Impact Lions, NFC North
Lions fans weren’t pleased to see Green Bay grab Parsons, considering that they needed a star pass rusher to play alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Luckily for Detroit, veteran defender Al-Quadin Muhammad almost recorded similar numbers to Parsons.
- Muhammad: 26 quarterback pressures, 20 quarterback hits, 11 sacks, and nine tackles for loss
- Parsons: 48 quarterback pressures, 27 quarterback hits, 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles
That being said, Detroit didn’t bring back Muhammad in free agency, putting them in a tough spot where they could or should consider making a splash for a Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett.
However, when you factor in the upcoming extensions Detroit has to make, plus how things went off the rails for the Packers with Parsons’ injury, the Lions were better off taking the route that they did – signing D.J. Wonnum and Payton to one-year deals.
Detroit’s roster is getting more expensive, so they must hit on high draft picks and not give them away in a trade. Concerning the NFC North race and the Lions’ chances, with Parsons likely out for the first month and maybe a little bit afterward, it could give Detroit a nice bump to leapfrog the Packers, who finished second in the NFC North in 2025. The Packers’ defense parted ways with Rashan Gary, so a lot of pressure will be on Parsons to perform.
Since the Lions finished fourth in the NFC North, they’ll have a fourth-place record. That should give them a boost to start the year, regardless of whether they face the three other NFC North teams or not during that first month or so Parsons is out.
Nonetheless, teams that make game-changing trades, such as Green Bay did with Parsons last year, are risky. Sometimes, the risk is whether this player will live up to expectations in terms of production or injury.
For Green Bay, it was injury, and now it will hope Parsons can return to form and look like the guy who had 12.5 sacks last year. Meanwhile, the Lions will hope to get some revenge on the Packers whenever they do face off this upcoming season.