GREEN BAY, Wis. -- For some, a 10-sack season would be a milestone.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons has another M-word for it.
"The minimum," he said.
With two sacks in Sunday's 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Parsons reached his "minimum" for the fifth straight season -- or every year he's been in the NFL. When Parsons dropped J.J. McCarthy for the second time in the third quarter, he became just the second player since sacks became an official stat in 1982 to post double-digit sacks season in each of his first five NFL seasons. Only Reggie White, with nine straight to start a career, has more.
Parsons broke out of a tie with Hall of Famers Dwight Freeney and Derrick Thomas, who each began his career with four straight 10-plus sack seasons.
"I wouldn't say it's like a feat where it's very easy or anything like that," Parsons said. "But you know, it's a standard of play."
When Parsons was with the Dallas Cowboys for the first four seasons of his career, he and receiver CeeDee Lamb used to talk about minimum statistical markers for the top players at their respective positions.
"Me and CeeDee Lamb used to say 1,000 yards is like the minimum," Parsons said of receiving yards. "So I feel like 10 sacks for the standard of player you are, that should be the minimum you should get. For me, mine was just always 10 sacks. I'm beating him right now. He was injured, though. I dealt with the same thing, so he has no excuse because we had the same high ankle [sprain], I'm still rooting for him to see what he does."
Parsons, who was traded to Green Bay in August for a pair of first-round picks plus Kenny Clark and then rewarded with a four-year, $186 million contract extension, became the first Packers player with a double-digit sack season since Za'Darius Smith with 12.5 in 2020.
Parsons, who still has six more games to add to his total and perhaps top his career-best season of 14 sacks in 2023, said he felt like he was finally freed up to rush more often because the Packers played from ahead for most of the game thanks in part to backup running back Emanuel Wilson's 107-yard, two-touchdown game in place of the injured Josh Jacobs (knee).
"When I get a chance, I win," Parsons said. "I affect the quarterback. I do what I do, but it's about just getting to the opportunities."
The Packers (7-3-1) sacked McCarthy five times and came up with their first three-turnover game of the season.
"I think once we got a lead and just as effective as our pass rush [was], this is the first time in a while where I thought our guys could pin their ears back and just go," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. "It just goes to show you the importance of getting a lead where you put them into some situations where they feel like they have to throw the football."