Detroit Lions: Dave Birkett, Rainer Sabin preview the 2025 NFL season
Free Press Detroit Lions beat writers Dave Birkett and Rainer Sabin preview the 2025 NFL season.
Micah Parsons was only traded to Green Bay Packers 10 days ahead of their first game of the 2025 NFL season, but he already feels like he’s a part of the team’s longstanding rivalry with the Detroit Lions.
The star pass rusher was asked Thursday about potentially making his Packers debut in a rivalry game against the Lions. His response?
“I’m excited to play them,” Parsons said of the Lions, as told to reporters on Thursday. “I never liked Detroit. I never liked them, even when I was in Dallas.”
Parsons went on to explain he felt as though the Dallas Cowboys had developed a rivalry with the Lions after playing against them each of the last three seasons.
“It was just always a heavyweight fight every time they came in,” Parsons said of the Dan Campbell-coached squad. “They kinda got our guys when I was injured last year – the whole team was injured.”
Indeed, the Lions thrashed the Cowboys, 47-9, in Week 6 last season. Detroit outgained Dallas 492-251 and saw Jared Goff post a 153.8 passer rating after completing 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
But Dallas won each of the previous two matchups. That included a 20-19 Cowboys win packed with controversy in Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season, which ultimately helped Dallas beat Detroit in the race for the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
Still, Parsons is “excited” to get a chance to exact revenge for last year’s shellacking in his first game with the Packers. The 26-year-old also knows Detroit will be amped up to beat Green Bay as the Lions look to bounce back from a disappointing divisional-round playoff exit at the hands of the Washington Commanders last season.
“I know they’re excited,” Parsons said. “It’s gonna go all 12-15 rounds.”