Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons said this week that he’s “playing for respect.” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur says Parsons already has the respect of every team he faces.
LaFleur said it’s great if Parsons wants to motivate himself by telling himself he needs to earn respect, but the reality is opposing offenses show how much they respect him by how much they tailor their game plan toward keeping him away from their quarterbacks.
“I love that he’s always trying to fight for the type of player that he is and is capable of being, but I would say watching opposing offenses, how they game plan against him, when there’s sometimes not only two guys but a third guy with attention on him, I think he’s definitely earned that respect throughout the league,” LaFleur said. “But that’s something you’ve got to continue to earn each and every time you go out there, so I love the mindset he has when he attacks the field.”
The Packers showed how much they respect Parsons when they traded two first-round picks and Kenny Clark for him, then made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Respect is not something Parsons is lacking, anywhere in the NFL.
