GREEN BAY – Packers defensive lineman Micah Parsons has been named one of five finalists for the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The show will air at 8 p.m. CT on NBC and NFL Network.
It's the latest in a series of accolades for Parsons, who earlier this month was voted first-team All-Pro as determined by a vote of 50 media members of the AP.
Acquired in an August trade with Dallas, Parsons tallied 41 tackles, 12½ sacks, 26 quarterback hits and 83 pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, in 14 games with Green Bay.
Parsons tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the Denver Broncos in December but still earned a fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection (2021-2025). He's the first defensive player to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five career seasons since former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
With 65 career sacks, Parsons has the fifth-most sacks by a player in the first five years of their career (since 1982). Only Reggie White (81), J.J. Watt (74½), T.J. Watt (72), and Derrick Thomas (66) have more.
Parsons' 2½ sacks in a Thanksgiving win over Detroit made him the only NFL player (since 1982) to register 12-plus sacks in each of his first five NFL seasons (2021-25).
This is the fourth time Parsons has been a finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his five seasons. He previously finished second in voting his first two years in the league, then third after his third season in 2023.
