The Green Bay Packers Need More From Rashan Gary
The arrival of Micah Parsons was supposed to unlock the ultimate version of the Green Bay Packers’ defense. The theory was simple: Parsons would demand double and triple teams, leaving favorable one-on-one matchups for fellow pass rusher Rashan Gary. Yet, reality has painted a starkly different picture over the last few weeks. While Parsons has been a force of nature, Gary has curiously faded into the background, creating a “Parsons or bust” dynamic that could threaten Green Bay’s Super Bowl aspirations.
Green Bay Packers Rashan Gary: A Disappearing Act
On paper, Rashan Gary’s season totals look respectable, with 7.5 sacks through 10 games. However, a closer examination reveals a troubling trend. Over the last three games, the highly-paid edge rusher has recorded zero sacks. More concerning than the lack of sacks is his inability to affect the quarterback consistently.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Gary has generated just seven pressures over the last three contests, a significant drop-off from his early-season production where he regularly logged four or more pressures per game. In a recent matchup against the New York Giants, he managed only two pressures and failed to register a single hit on the quarterback.
This decline comes at a time when Gary should be feasting. With opposing offenses shifting their entire protection schemes to contain Parsons, Gary often finds himself in isolated matchups that elite edge rushers dream of. Yet, his pass-rush win rate sits at just 11.4 percent, ranking him 61st among edge defenders. By contrast, Parsons is winning nearly a quarter of his reps (24.7 percent), and even second-year player Lukas Van Ness is winning at a higher clip (15.3 percent) despite limited playing time.
The Contract and Snap Count Conundrum
The Packers invested heavily in Gary, signing him to a four-year, $96 million extension just over two years ago with the expectation that he would be a cornerstone of the defense. Drafting him 12th overall in 2019 was a long-term bet on his elite athleticism, a bet that seemed to be paying off until this recent slump.
Complicating matters is Gary’s usage. Despite being the clear No. 2 option behind Parsons, he isn’t playing a full workload. Since Week 5, Gary has played only 62.5 percent of the defensive snaps. In the game against the Giants, he played just 39 snaps—fewer than rotation player Kingsley Enagbare. Meanwhile, Parsons, who started the season on a pitch count, has been on the field for over 84 percent of snaps in that same stretch.
Implications for a Super Bowl Contender
For the Packers to legitimate championship contenders, they need a complementary pass rush. Relying solely on Parsons to wreck game plans is unsustainable against elite competition in the playoffs. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles thrive because they have waves of pass rushers who can win their matchups. Green Bay has the talent to match that blueprint, but only if Gary returns to form.
The defense is currently one-dimensional: if Parsons doesn’t get home, the quarterback often has time to throw. For a player with Gary’s pedigree and paycheck, disappearing during the most critical stretch of the season is alarming. If the Packers hope to make a deep run, they need Rashan Gary to stop being a spectator in the Micah Parsons show and start being the co-star they paid for.
