Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows he’ll have to have his head on a swivel Sunday night with Green Bay Packers All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons coming off the edge.
“You know, we need four hands on him at all times,” Rodgers said. “I said it with (T.J. Watt) when we played him last year, you can’t let him get any single matchups on you. Micah, he’s a phenomenal player, a future Hall of Famer, and he’s a game wrecker.”
There’s a mutual respect between the two. Speaking with the Athletic, Parsons recalled a moment where the four-time NFL MVP left him speechless.
““He was like, ‘I want to trade jerseys with you,’” Parsons said. “And I’m like, ‘The GOAT, Rodgers, wants to trade jerseys with me?’”
Parsons is coming off a standout performance in Sunday’s 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The All-Pro recorded a career high three sacks. He also tied a career high with five QB hits.
Parsons leads the NFL with 40 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats.
“He’s just relentless,” Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones said during his media availability on Monday. “He doesn’t stop like most people in the league. It sets him apart because he has a motor about him. He has a deep bag of tools. He has finesse to his game. The Packers do a good job of moving him around, from the inside to the outside to lining up at linebacker. We’ve got a lot of film to break down.”
Rodgers and the Steelers will have to be wary of Parsons. However, Rashan Gary also presents a massive challenge. He has 5½ sacks this year.
“When it’s time to win the game, something just switches,” Parsons said, via the team’s official website. “I don’t think it was my best pass-rush game. I just think it’s the first time (opponents) allowed me to rush this year. I mean if you look at the looks I’ve been getting, double tight ends, chips, full slides and then also just other guys stepping up.”
The Steelers allowed no sacks in last Thursday night’s game against the Bengals. Cincinnati was without Trey Hendrickson, though. The Bengals’ defensive line is also not as talented as Green Bay’s.
“Yeah we gotta just continue to keep him upright,” Jones said. “I feel like the O-line did their job doing that last week. Like I said we just gotta continue to trend in the right direction, you know just keep him upright and keep him healthy this season.”
Rodgers has one of the quickest releases in the NFL. Rodgers leads the league in passer rating on throws in 2.5 seconds or less this season.
Getting out the ball out quick will be imperative against Parsons and the Packers’ highly talented front.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Calls Micah Parsons ‘Future Hall of Famer’
