Packers' Micah Parsons goes off on NFL officiating: 'Don't just protect one side of the ball'
Micah Parsons is tired of getting held, so he didn't hold back Thursday.
The Green Bay Packers' star pass rusher, who doubles as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sacked the league's officiating when talking to reporters ahead of a Week 7 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals.
“Five years of not getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it,” Parsons said, via The Athletic. “I think I just got to keep going. That’s the hunt, yeah. That’s part of the challenge, is you just got to keep going. And that’s bothersome. That worries them. They know that. That’s part of being one of the best. That comes with some territory, parts that you hate and the parts that the league lets go."
Parsons continued: "You can tell how they call the games. They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it on defense. They won’t call offensive pass interference, but they’ll call defensive pass interference immediately. We know what they’re trying to do. They wanna load the points up so fans can be happy. They’ll call defensive holding, but they won’t call offensive holding. Let’s just wake up.
"It’s just one of those things that we know what the higher-ups is trying to do. The ref would say, ‘I know that’s a hold,’ but what, you’re not going to call it? Come on. It’s just one of those things that, like, I’m over, and I’mma just have to keep going, push through it.”
Micah Parsons sounds off on how he’s officiated and refs in general:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 16, 2025
“Five years of not getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it.”
“They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it on defense. They won’t call offensive pass interference, but they’ll call… pic.twitter.com/fieDTZpWl5
Parsons is tied for 40th with only 2.5 sacks through five games this season, his first with the Packers after his contract standoff with Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones resulted in a blockbuster trade in late August.
He's top 25 in the league in quarterback hits this season, according to Sports Reference, and his 29 pressures are tied for fourth most among all EDGE players in 2025, per PFF. His impact extends beyond even the advanced data because of the amount of attention he demands from opposing offenses.
But the three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler came into the season having recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first four campaigns after entering the league as a No. 12 overall pick out of Penn State.
Parsons is a long way from that mark right now, and he's fed up with refs not calling holds while he's trying to rush the passer.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he plans to talk to the officials before Sunday's game in Arizona about the missed holding calls, some of which LaFleur labeled as "egregious" earlier in the week, per ESPN.
Parsons isn't convinced that pregame conversation will make much of a difference.
"Nah, I don't think it matters," Parsons said, according to ESPN. "The refs are going to call what they call. All we can do is just hope we get called a fair game. I don't care what the fans want sometimes. If your team holds, they should get better tackles, better guards. S***, don't blame that on us."
Parsons' holding complaints are simply a microcosm of his larger frustration with the league's officiating, which he believes prioritizes offensive players over defensive players.
“We put so much emphasis on protecting the offense. Protect the defense,” Parsons said, according to The Athletic. “A guy could be trying to catch the ball, and you make a defensive play so he doesn’t catch it, and it’s targeting. It’s a flag. But a defensive end can be rushing and engaged with another player, and the guy can come blow his ribs out, and we’re not considered defenseless. … That’s complete bulls***. That’s not good football. That’s not safe football, if that’s what we want to preach on the offensive side.
"I think those things are more frustrating. Like, who are we kidding? You want to fine guys for putting their head down, but you can be engaged with an offensive tackle, and a guard can put his head right into your head. What are we talking about here? Look at how many times that’s on film, guys putting their head down and trying to come clean your clock. But you can’t do that to offensive players. S***. You’ll get a $50,000 fine. I might get a fine for this conference."
Parsons added, per The Athletic: “But like we said, it’s an offensive league. I think a lot of rules are bulls***. … If you’re going to say it’s about protecting players, then protect all players. Don’t just protect one side of the ball.”
Speaking of the rules, and what's allowed and what isn't, Parsons still isn't a fan of the tush push, a rugby-inspired quarterback sneak the Philadelphia Eagles have baked into their short-yardage playbook.
"S***, if you ask the Eagles' offensive players, they'll probably say, 'That's the best thing we're doing on offense right now,'" Parsons said, according to ESPN.
"It's the most consistent thing they've got. That might come [back] and bite me one day."