It’s hard for a non-quarterback to shake the balance of a whole division by himself, but Micah Parsons’ arrival with the Green Bay Packers might do that to the NFC North.
In fact, Charles Woodson believes that the Packers are now the frontrunners to win the division entering the 2025 NFL season due to the trade that landed them the star edge rusher.
“I think with the Micah trade, the balance of power in the NFC North has shifted,” Woodson said on “FOX NFL Kickoff.” “I think we would all sit here and say that Detroit was the class of that division, but with Micah coming over there, this thing totally changes.”
As Woodson mentioned, the Lions have had a stranglehold on the NFC North for the last two seasons, winning the division each year. That included when they went 15-2 last season, securing the best regular-season record in the conference.
Even after getting upset in the divisional round last season and losing both its offensive and defensive coordinators, Detroit is still expected to have a strong season in 2025. It returned practically all of its core players, such as quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson also returns after missing most of the 2024 season due to a gruesome leg injury.
However, the Packers actually became slight betting favorites to win the NFC North over the Lions after the Parsons trade. As of Sunday morning, the Packers hold +165 odds to win the division, while the Lions have +190 odds to win a third straight NFC North title, via DraftKings Sportsbook.
With the Packers making the playoffs as a wild-card team in each of the last two seasons, Woodson believes that Parsons was the exact thing Green Bay was missing to take it to the next level as a contender.
“When I look at the Packers’ season last year, they lose to Philly early and then all of their division games (they actually went 1-5 against the NFC North),” Woodson said. “Against the Detroit Lions, they recorded two sacks in two games. Now [the Packers] get a guy who is a specialist on the defensive side of the ball in getting to the quarterback.”
To Woodson’s point, Parsons has arguably been the best pass rusher in the NFL since he entered the league in 2021. He’s recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons in the league and has consistently ranked among the best in the NFL in pressures and pass-rush win rate.
So, when you add a player like that to a defense that finished sixth in yards allowed last season, it’s easy to see why Green Bay might take a step forward in 2025.
“When I look at this division, Detroit was the team,” Woodson said. “But now that the Packers just traded for Micah Parsons, Green Bay is now the favorite to win the NFC North.”
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