The Green Bay Packers made perhaps the most impactful move in the entire NFL this offseason.
Adding a superstar of Micah Parsons‘ caliber to their already stacked defense was supposed to take them to Super Bowl contention.
So far, however, the early returns have been rather modest.
As pointed out by MLFootball on X, the Dallas Cowboys have gotten more sacks from backup pass-rusher James Houston IV (3.5) than the Packers have gotten from Parsons (2.5).
When you consider that Houston is making just $1.1 million this season and the Packers gave Parsons a $188 million contract extension, that’s all the more remarkable.
🚨🚨THIS IS WILD🚨🚨#Cowboys pass rusher James Houston has MORE SACKS than #Packers edge Micah Parsons this season.
Parsons sacks: 2.5
Houston sacks: 3.5
Houston’s salary: $1.1 million
Parsons contract: $188 million
Parsons is getting paid 44 million more than Houston.
😱😱 pic.twitter.com/TQRhFK4peS
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 5, 2025
Then again, context matters here.
For starters, Parsons only played 45 percent of the team’s snaps in the season opener, and he’s still working his way back from a back injury.
Also, Houston and the Cowboys have played one more game than the Packers.
More than that, Parsons’ impact goes way beyond the stat sheet.
He’s still been a disruptive presence at the line of scrimmage, drawing double teams in almost every play and putting up pressure on the quarterback.
The Packers didn’t make this trade thinking just about this season.
They hope that Parsons can be the defensive anchor they can rely on for the next decade.
He’s just entering his prime, and he should only get better as he gets healthier and more settled in on Jeff Hafley’s defense.
He’s never had fewer than 12 sacks in a season, and if he wants to keep that pace up, he should be in for a monumental run after the bye week.
NEXT: Packers Warned Against Making Self-Inflicted Mistakes