Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) congratulates Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) after the game at Huntington Bank Field.
Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The NFC now has arguably the two best defensive players in the NFL this season. Green Bay Packers OLB Micah Parsons and Los Angeles Rams EDGE Myles Garrett are two of the best pass-rushers in the league, and they'll be competing against each other in the same conference. Given the strength of their teams, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the two players face each other twice this season: once in the regular season, and the next in the postseason.
There are plenty of debates on who's the better defensive player between the two. One of the potential arguments one can use is how much attention each player draws from the offense. After all, the stronger a player, the more likely a team centers their offensive gameplan around neutralizing them, right? The two NFL stars debated who between the two of them drew more attention from their opponents.
WATCH: Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett debate who gets more offensive attention. The numbers don't lie in #NFL's "Iron Sharpens Iron." #Packers #Rams
Micah: 70 chips, 88 doubles, 37.4% attention
Myles: 139 chips, 60 doubles, 39.5% attention
(📽️ @NFL) pic.twitter.com/BrOnVuUM6C
— Michael Gross (@MichaelSGross) August 26, 2026
NFL Next-Gen Stats paint a picture of just how dominant both pass-rushers are at their jobs. Last season, Parsons was doubled 88 times and received a chip block 70 times. His “attention” percentage sat at around 37.4%. On the other hand, Garrett was doubled less at just 60 blocks. However, he significantly received more chip blocks than Parsons, getting chipped 139 times for an attention percentage of 39.5%. Both players are essentially next to each other in these stats.
It's not like these chips and double-teams mattered to both Garrett and Parsons: both players still got their production and then some. Last season, Garrett set the single-season sack record with 23 sacks on the year. Parsons was 7th on the list with 12.5 sacks, though it's worth noting that Parsons played in just 14 games due to a torn ACL he suffered later in the year. The two NFL stars are some of the most dominant players the league has ever seen at their positions.
The Packers and Rams will face each other in Week 12 of the 2026 NFL season. This will be an explosive matchup between two of the top contenders in the league this year. Let's see how Garrett and Parsons perform against each other.