Dustin from Kansas City, MO

What has you fired up the most about this week’s matchup with the Lions? Other than the fact that football is finally back.

It doesn’t get much bigger than this in the NFC North these days. In the Dan Campbell era, the Lions have gone from a relative pushover to perhaps the Packers’ fiercest rival. As Matt LaFleur said, Detroit has been the standard for the past two NFL seasons. If Green Bay wants to make a statement, there’s no better way to do so than by turning back the Lions in front of 78,000 at Lambeau.

Craig from Brookfield, WI

Detroit has to be the favorite, going in. Chicago is improving (at least on paper). Minnesota has a question mark at QB. The Packers once again can legitimately think “this could be the year.” How do you see the division? The rivals must hate the Micah Parsons acquisition! Oderint dum metuant, I say.

I’ve said it all offseason – the Packers have the highest ceiling of the four NFC North squads. But again this division belongs to Detroit right now. The Lions have earned that right. But as a wise man once said…to be the man, you gotta beat the man. Green Bay has its first shot this Sunday.

Jim from Tempe, AZ
Wes mentioned something on “Unscripted” I was going to bring up about Micah Parsons, which was he wore the green dot helmet as a rookie. So, I think it’s fair to think he will get up to speed learning the defense very quickly. Also, a lot of talk about where to play him. As a rookie, Parsons played off the line and had 13 sacks. He’s not 270-plus pounds like Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness. He’s 250 and can run a 4.39. Parsons stated in his presser he prefers not to be in one spot on the line. Let him pick his lane and use his athleticism.

Let the man cook. That’s it. And I’m sure Jeff Hafley will.

Where does Micah Parsons rank in sacks and QB pressures in his first four years compared to some of the Packers greats?

Better than all of ’em since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 and analytic sites started tracking pressures. Only Reggie White (with Philly) has more sacks in his first four years than Parsons, but he was already 24 years old when he broke into the NFL in 1985 after two seasons in the USFL. Parsons will play the entirety of his fifth NFL season at 26.

There has been a lot of talk about Parsons taking an injection to play Sunday. Feeling pain is the body’s way to protect us from doing further damage. It seems to me this is a risk for additional injury for Parsons. And then to turn around and play Thursday is quite concerning. What is your take on this?

The Packers have said since Day 1 they’ll be smart with Parsons. I’d take comfort in that given how careful Green Bay’s track record is with players. Parsons will only be out there if he’s ready and physically capable of being out there.

With the addition of Micah P. will this help or hurt Lukas Van Ness’ development?

I think it 100% helps Van Ness and all the edge rushers. Not only do they get to work with one of the league’s premier pass rushers daily, but Parsons also will make their lives easier on Sundays. Speaking with guys in the locker room the past few days, this defense is hungry and ready to eat.

Chris from West Allis, WI

Did I understand from Gute’s press conference that he personally called Kenny Clark to inform him of the trade? If so, what a class move.

Correct. I’m sure it’s common practice for Gutekunst anytime a key player is traded or released, but obviously Clark was a big part of what the Packers built over the past decade. It’s only the right thing to do.

I’m hoping you’ll allow one more Parsons trade question, because there’s an aspect I haven’t seen addressed: I don’t get Dallas trading Parsons, and I do get the Packers going for him. But why wasn’t there a feeding frenzy? It seems like we struck a deal before anyone knew there was one to be had. If there was a lot of wheeling and dealing with other teams, I’d think it would have leaked. But literally everyone seemed shocked.

We were getting into the 11th hour here and I think it behooved both sides to get a deal done ASAP. The Packers admittedly struck early and offered a package that evidently satisfied Dallas. From there, the Packers worked quickly to get the extension done with Parsons and here we are today.

Ricky from Alexandria, VA

Hi Insiders! Maybe this is a stretch, but I see some parallels to 2016 when the Packers unceremoniously cut Josh Sitton, and a little-known player named Lane Taylor took over the starting job. Replacing the legendary Kenny Clark won’t be easy, but the camp reports on Colby Wooden were solid, Karl Brooks has already shown a pass-rush penchant, and then the two rookies from Georgia have to factor into the rotation as well. How do you see the DT2 rotation playing out in the opener?

It’s tough losing a leader like Clark on a personal level. Professionally, it’s a massive opportunity for everyone in the room. Keep in mind, Wooden was a healthy scratch a couple times last year simply due to the D-line being Green Bay’s healthiest position. Now, he’s listed as a starter. I’ve mentioned a few times how the Packers committed themselves to develop the young guys behind Clark for a few years. Now, we get to see the growth chart.