Micah Parsons helped lead a rousing defensive effort in the Green Bay Packers' statement victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, putting an exclamation point on the shocking preseason trade from the Cowboys.
The effort came following a particularly challenging offseason, Parsons told reporters after the 27-13 win.
"These last six months was super draining, super toxic for everyone," Parsons said, via The Athletic, of his trials with the Cowboys that eventually led to the trade at the end of August. "It's something that I don't think (any) player should have to go through ...
"The fact that I was traded a week before the season was really outrageous and rough."
Make no mistake, Parsons is happy to be a Packer. He notched a fourth-quarter sack of Jared Goff with the game in hand, earning a huge ovation from the Lambeau Field crowd.
"It looked like the speed of light or a shooting star just coming out of the sky and closing ground fast. I mean, that's why he's here, right? I mean, that was really exciting to see," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said.
"I definitely know that our crowd reacted the right way as well. I mean, I don't know if I've heard our crowd much louder than when they introduced him and certainly on that sack."
Parsons also made an immediate impact on Sunday with a pressure on his first snap and a later rush that led to a Goff interception in the red zone. Parsons said he believes he could have been even better – had Dallas not dragged its feet on a trade.
"It's something where I could've been with these guys getting better and better and we could've had probably (an) even more dominant start," he said.
Parsons wasn't even a sure thing to play in Week 1, limited throughout the week in practice due to a back injury he dealt with during Cowboys training camp.
Parsons played 29 of Green Bay's 65 defensive snaps, which LaFleur said was "definitely higher than what we anticipated."
That some of Parsons' best reps Sunday came against Lions All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell made his debut effort even more impressive. In the NFC East, Parsons' best matchups often came against the Eagles' Lane Johnson. Now Parsons believes Sewell will be his new measuring-stick opponent.
"I'm not gonna be able to get rid of him," Parsons said of Sewell, per The Athletic. "He's a hell of a player. I told him, I said, 'You're my new rivalry now. I don't (have) Lane (any) more. It's gonna be you. I'm (going to) see you twice a year, so you might as well buckle up.'"
But what Parsons seemed to relish most was his new team. After the protracted and very public contract standoff with the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones, Parsons said he's just happy to be where he's wanted.
"These guys embraced me. They believe in my talents," Parsons said. "They believed in me, and I'm just gonna give these guys everything I have because I know what's at stake and I know what they gave up for me to be here and I'm (going to) do what it takes for us to win."
