Micah Parsons managed to sack Aaron Rodgers for the first time in his career on Sunday, but he missed out on getting another sack during the game thanks to a head-up play from the 41-year-old veteran quarterback.
At another point in the game, Parsons came so close to taking Rodgers down until Rodgers quickly threw the football before he could reach him.
“The one where I was hawking him down, and I was this close to getting him,” Parsons recalled. “Then he was like, ‘I heard the crowd.’ I was like, ‘That’s some vet s— right there.’ I’m like, ‘Crowd, shhh.’
The surprisingly heavy Green Bay crowd appeared to come in handy for Rodgers. Assuming the crowd was cheering thinking Parsons was gonna sack Rodgers—or even just reacting to the play—the quarterback was able to use the noise as a signal to get the ball out of his hands and avoid the sack.
“He was great to play. And he told me to buy his house,” Parsons added with a laugh.
The moment was somewhat reminiscent of an earlier Packers game this season, when Browns defensive end Myles Garrett beat Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, leaving Walker to warn quarterback Jordan Love by yelling, “Jordan! Run!” Like Rodgers, Love was able to get the ball out of his hands before Garrett reached him.
This wasn’t the only time Rodgers was able to use his football IQ to avoid a sack in the game. At another point of the game, Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks appeared to strip-sack Rodgers. Replay later showed that Rodgers actually threw the ball at the feet of running back Jaylen Warren quickly before he went down, and it was ruled an incomplete pass. While Rodgers might not be able to run like he could in his prime, his awareness still gives him a great advantage.
Ultimately, Parsons and Rashan Gary combined for three sacks on Parsons as the Packers earned a 35-25 win over the Steelers. Parsons is now up to 6.5 sacks on the season, sixth-most in the NFL.
