The Green Bay Packers made what could be a division-winning move by trading for Dallas Cowboys superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons. Adding a top-10 player to a team that went 11-6 last year is objectively an incredible business decision made by Green Bay’s front office.
This is not ideal news for the Chicago Bears, or anyone in the NFC North division for that matter. The games still have to be played, but this is an elite disruptor going to a team that was already top-10 in sacks a year ago.
A lot of comparisons are being drawn to the Khalil Mack trade that Chicago made just days before the 2018 NFL season kicked off. The truth of the matter is, however, that these situations are nowhere close to each other.
The 2017 Bears were terrible, which they overcame after adding Mack. The Packers already have an established winning culture that Parsons is simply joining, with not so much pressure.
There are also two incredibly significant differences in the makeup of the 2018 Bears and the 2025 Packers. Although Jordan Love has plenty to prove after his massive extension, he is worlds better than Mitch Trubisky was at the time of the Mack trade. Matt LaFleur is also a much better coach than Matt Nagy.
The 2018 Bears also competed against a lousy NFC North all around. The Minnesota Vikings came in second place with a record of 8-7-1, the Packers went 6-9-1 and the Detroit Lions were 6-10. This version of the Packers will win a lot of games, and the division won’t be as much of a lock.
Could the Packers get the same bump from Parsons that the Bears got from Mack? Well, technically. However, if they go 13-4 and win the division, that is just a two-game improvement from a year ago. The team was already solid. The 2018 Bears improved by eight games, going from 5-11 to 12-4.
If the modern-day Bears want to avoid this becoming their problem, they need to improve the left tackle position to help keep Parsons from ruining their two matchups. It may not happen midseason, but the Bears need to make an upgrade there now more than ever.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Why Micah Parsons and Khalil Mack trades are not the same situation
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
