Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) celebrates after an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Various NFL Players: Hey, this is Russell Wilson. This is Joe Montana. This is Dak Prescott. Hey, this is Jason Kelce, and you’re listening to Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi.

Rob Maaddi, host: Welcome to the AP’s On Football, I’m Rob Maaddi. We’re down to six unbeaten teams in the NFL. Two of them are going to face off. More on that in Pro Picks. Our guest this week, two-time All-Pro Micah Parsons. If you haven’t heard, he’s returning to Dallas for the first time since the Green Bay Packers traded him a month ago.

MAADDI: We’re only three weeks into the season. I’m already tired of all the talk about the tush push. It’s still legal. It wasn’t banned. They fell two votes short. So the Eagles are gonna use it until the league says no. So stop with the whining, stop with complaining. As Todd Bull says, learn how to stop it, or maybe learn how use it. TV cameras are gonna focus in every time the Eagles run it just to see if there’s a false start. Let’s have some consistency. When other teams do it, like the Chargers did this week and converted, let’s focus in and see if they also ran a false start. Until a team presents a proposal after the season that bans pushing and pulling a ball carrier, the tush push is still going to be a legal play. And that’s if a team presents that proposal next year and if the NFL gets enough votes to ban it. Until then, enough with the complaining.

MAADDI: Micah Parsons is one of the best players in the NFL. He’s the highest paid non-quarterback in league history. The Green Bay Packers traded a ton to the Cowboys to get him. This week, he faces Jerry Jones and his former teammates for the first time.

MAADDI: Micah, obviously it’s a big week for you, gonna be an emotional week for you. How do you channel that? How do you when you go out there, make sure that you’re taking care of what you gotta take care of?

PARSONS: For me, I, you know, I accepted my fate, weeks ago when, the trade happened. So for me it’s just all about playing another game and just doing what I do best. And that’s just be a disruptive football player. You know, I think the media and the fans are trying to blow it up to be such a big thing. But you know I just look at just another game at AT&T.

MAADDI: It’s certainly another game, some familiar faces, right? So if you get that opportunity, it’s Dak. Are you gonna mingle, are you gonna talk to, like have you figured out what you’re going to do before the game? Talk to some guys, catch up with some guys.

PARSONS: I mean, I don’t never really go out during warm-ups anyway so like, for me, I like to just channel all my focus on the, you know, minutes I got to play football.

MAADDI: What’s it been like for you, Micah? Going to Green Bay, obviously a historic city, historic team, very unique in that, the traditions, the culture, everything they have built there. What has that been like, for you? And what have you enjoyed most about kinda getting acclimated over there?

PARSONS: I mean, besides, you know, the fans, just the teammates, the support staff, I mean they made this transition so great. And, you now, I’m just extremely honored and blessed to be with such a great group of guys that wanna win and that just wanna play football. And, I think we’ve been playing really good football so far. So that helps and I just hope we continue that.

MAADDI: We know this — offense scores points, right? Defense wins championships. What you guys have there together, the system, the group, the team that you have, how far can the Green Bay Packers go this year? You’ve, you’ve tasted some success before in Dallas. You’ve seen what it’s like, but obviously the pinnacle, right, Micah, is to hoist that Lombardi.

PARSONS: Yeah, I mean, I think every team, like, you’ll be dumb to say that you’re obviously not everyone’s trying to chase that Lombardi. I mean that’s what makes it so special. It’s only one champion every year. Division champions don’t matter. You can go to divisional, it doesn’t matter, it’s all about getting to that big game, that big dance and winning it all. So obviously that’s in behind, you know, and that’s the back of everyone’s mind is how do we get there? And because there’s just one every week, there’s one at a time. You know, coming in and putting the best game plan, focus, lock in, just getting all the details done one week at a time. And that’s the challenging part, enjoying and loving the process. And you just gotta stay committed through the long season.

MAADDI: Those are the team goals. From a personal standpoint, I know you’re driven by wanting to be the best, be the best at your position. You’re the highest-paid ever non-quarterback in the history of the NFL. I know, you’re on a path, and I’ve said this before, you’re on a path to Canton, somewhere down the road, even though it’s only four years in. How much does all of that stuff motivate you to be that guy?

PARSONS: You know, I think me myself, I have to have that drive inside. Like I think that’s like the, I think chasing greatness is all a part of you. And if you’re not chasing it, you’re just wasting your time. So I look at this game a little bit differently. I say that I’m blessed to play with these great players that’s in this league because I would say they’re like idols. You look up to them and you see the success they have. You like, man, I want to reach that thing success. And then you look at the past great guys, you know, that come in and they work hard and you see their process and you say, how do I obtain that success? And I mean, obviously everyone wants to reach Canton one day, but that’s the hard part. You got to do it consistently for a long time. So you got to look at like, how do these guys sustain that for such a long time? So for me, I would say, me personally, I had a great start, but I would say each year that I’ve gotten better, I got smarter, I got wiser, stronger. So, I just got to keep having that will to want to get better and put my best foot forward every year.

MAADDI: Micah, you were the last guy ever to sack Tom Brady. It happened in that playoff game. Is there any quarterback that you’ve enjoyed taking down more than anyone else?

PARSONS: It is Tom, because every time I see him it’s a competitive matchup whether it’s on the field, off the field. Whether it is golf or fanatics games, he’s always trying to be the best so when you can say you’re the last person to take out an elite competitor like Tom, it’s a special privilege.

MAADDI: And what if you get that opportunity? I know you will want to with Dak. What would that feel like?

PARSONS: You know, it’s gonna be, it’s going to be painful, you know, I mean that’s my guy. You know, he was always like a good mentor for me. But you know it is, he always told me if I ever faced him that you know, it’ll be a, it’ll be great matchup. So I’m excited to see what Sunday brings and stuff.

MAADDI: Micah, you’ve partnered with Product Madness, NFL Super Bowl Slots. Tell me about that, about that partnership, what you’re doing with them, and really kind of what got you excited about it.

PARSONS: Yeah, I think it’s cool. I mean, if you’re someone like me that kind of just likes having fun on your phone and you love being around sports and it’s kind of way to stay connected. It’s like sports at home, you know, for people 18-plus, you know, and it is free. I think I would say it determines if it’s free, it’s me. You know, it’s just a, it’s a great game just to stay busy. If you just like to, if you like to win. Like if you like to win, I done won some good money on just playing it. And it’s just free, very fun and I just think it’s a joyful game product that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

MAADDI: Time for some Pro Picks.

We went 2-2 straight up and against the spread last week in the four pack. The four pack overall 8-4 this season straight up, 7-5 against the number.

My best bet, I’ve got to go Green Bay seven-point favorites in Dallas. It’s an emotional game for Micah. His teammates are going to want to win this one for him. Jordan Love and the offense struggled in a loss at Cleveland, but the Cowboys defense, they can’t stop anybody -- Green Bay 33-17.

My upset special, the Chiefs are two and a half point underdogs at home against Baltimore. Hard to believe one of these teams is going to be 1-3 unless they tie. Only the 2001 Patriots rebounded from a 1-3 start to win the Super Bowl. This is a tough trip for the Ravens coming off a Monday night loss at home to Detroit. Short week for them. I’m going to take Kansas City, 24-23.

3-0 Philly visits 3-0 Tampa Bay. Eagles are three and a half point favorites. Bucks coach Todd Bowles, he’s had Jalen Hurts’ number. Hurts is one and four against Tampa Bay, but the Bucks are depleted by injuries. Mike Evans, their star wide receiver is out. The offensive line didn’t have any starters playing in their projected positions last week against the Jets. Baker Mayfield keeps finding ways to lead them to comeback wins in the final two minutes. Gonna be tough to do that against Philly. Eagles 27-22.

Final pick of the four pack, this number just jumped out at me. Patriots are five and a half point favorites at home against the Panthers. Carolina is coming off a 30-0 win against Atlanta. New England’s coming off of a loss. Why is this number so high? I know Carolina’s got some injuries on the offensive line, but this line is telling me, take the Patriots 23-16.

MAADDI: That’s it for this week. Thank you to Micah Parsons. Thank you for listening to On Football and thank you to Haya Panjwani for producing this episode. Please check out APNews.com for the full Pro Picks, On Football analysis and more NFL news.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

News from © The Associated Press, 2025