GREEN BAY – Micah Parsons got his first taste of what football means to Packers fans on social media of all places.

As word started to travel earlier this week regarding Green Bay's potential interest in trading for the three-time All-Pro, Parsons began surfing the internet and sifted through responses.

The possibility – however unlikely it may have seemed for their team to acquire the generational pass rusher – threw fans into a frenzy.

"I'm like, 'Man, I see Packer Nation kind of going like crazy,'" Parsons said. "I never really knew how crazy the fanbase was and how excited this fanbase gets."

Welcome to Green Bay, Micah Parsons.

On Friday, the 26-year-old defensive lineman flew into town to complete the biggest trade of the 2025 NFL season between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys, who received two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark in exchange for Parsons. As part of the deal, Parsons signed a contract extension commensurate with one of the most prolific starts the NFL has seen in its modern era.

In four seasons, Parsons' production has been unparalleled. In just 63 NFL games, he's already recorded 256 tackles, 112 quarterback hits, 52½ sacks with nine forced fumbles in 63 games.

Parsons and Packers legend Reggie White are the only players to record at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

During Parsons' rookie season, Matt LaFleur had the privilege of working with the ascending pass rusher at the 2022 Pro Bowl and that experience left a lasting positive impression on the Packers' head coach.

"The majority of the guys looked like they were going through the motions. Except for one guy," LaFleur said. "And he was trying to wreck shop out there and he was trying to win.

"Just having relationships with other coaches throughout the league that have worked with him, they'll tell ya – this guy's the ultimate competitor and whatever it is you're playing, he's gonna wanna win and I don't think he's very apologetic about that."

When General Manager Brian Gutekunst approached LaFleur earlier this week to take his temperature on possibly trading for Parsons, the Packers' head coach replied with an emphatic: "Heck yeah."

LaFleur said he even watched some of Parsons' film on Friday morning simply because "I just wanted to watch him."

Parsons came away equally impressed with his new head coach in their limited interactions. He loved watching the creativity of their offensive scheme and the lengths Green Bay went to defend Parsons during its encounters with the Cowboys.

As trade talks ramped up, Parsons began doing even more research on Green Bay. He knew a few players on the team, including quarterback Jordan Love and safety Xavier McKinney. All three share the same agent, David Mulugheta.

But the best resource of all proved to be Parsons' close friend and former Penn State teammate Rasheed Walker, the team's starting left tackle the past two years who gave a glowing recommendation for the team and community.

"He's like, 'It's like Penn State. It's like home. It's like a brotherhood,'" said Parsons of his conversation with Walker. "It kind of gave me comfort and it kind of gave me a better decision like, 'OK, this is a place where I feel like I can take my next step and continue to have a great legacy here.'"

One thing led to another, and a deal got done on Thursday evening. While it's tough to leave Dallas and the relationships he built within the Cowboys' locker room, Parsons feels Green Bay is where the next chapter of his career is meant to be.

As far as the player the Packers are getting, Parsons says he plays with a "twisted mind" and "All I know is go" mentality. A long-time admirer of Sean Taylor, Parsons strives to be the most competitive player on the field whenever the pads are on.

That's what made this offseason particularly difficult for the perennial Pro Bowler, as a back injury sidelined Parsons during training camp while little progress was made in negotiations with the Cowboys on a possible extension.

Gutekunst said the Packers don't anticipate the back being an issue with Parsons, who could "help us in some form or fashion" in the Week 1 opener against Detroit.

Green Bay still plans to be smart with its new pass rusher, but Parsons says he feels great physically and already has started forming a plan for his on-field return with team doctors.

"We already talked about how we can ramp things up and get me into a flow where they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable," Parsons said. "My plan is to be here. They didn't give up what they gave up for me to sit on the sidelines and make this big of a risk and change for me to do that, so I'm going to give them my all."

Parsons says his arrival in Green Bay feels like life coming full circle. In fact, the first football team he ever played for was the Harrisburg (Pa.) Packers.

The game has allowed him to take care of his family, too. With an extension in place, Parsons achieved a lifelong goal of telling his mother, Sherese, that she no longer needs to work again.

He shared the video on social media on Friday morning before flying to Green Bay. Parsons has tried for years to get his mom to take time for herself and travel more, but she's just too driven.

"She's probably the hardest working person I've ever met in my life," Parsons said. "I've seen her work since I was a boy. That's 26 years and beyond that because my brother is 30; working three jobs, two jobs, now she can just chill out for a while."

One noticeable change for Parsons in Green Bay will be his jersey number. While the No. 11 he previously wore at Penn State and in Dallas is taken, Parsons will be the first Packers player to wear No. 1 since founder Curly Lambeau in 1926.

Parsons understands the expectations that come with wearing that number and signing the extension that he did Friday. He wants to make Packers fans proud and prove the front office correct for bringing him to Green Bay.

One way to do it would be a Lambeau Leap. He's scored one NFL touchdown during his career off a fumble recovery against the Packers' biggest rival, the Chicago Bears in 2022, and would love nothing more than to do it again.

"Just seeing the fanbase and how they're all encouraging and excited – they couldn't wait to have me here," Parsons said. "I carry that on my shoulders, too. This isn't just for me. Understanding the history about (having) no owner and this is all-fan - everything is poured back into this, that means so much. I'm gonna carry that."