Micah Parsons picking Caleb Williams as NFL’s best player is way too fishy

There are two irrefutable facts about the most recent episodes in the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

The first is that the Bears, led by phenom quarterback Caleb Williams, flipped the NFL’s oldest rivalry on its head with two straight dramatic comeback victories last season. One happened from down 16-6 late in the fourth quarter to basically win the NFC North division title, and one happened from down 21-3 at halftime of an NFC wild-card playoff game.

The second is that those Bears wins happened without Micah Parsons in the Packers’ lineup, who tore his ACL just before that first Chicago comeback victory. The Bears, of course, still could’ve won both games with Parsons playing. Their only loss to the Packers last year came down to the final possession at Lambeau Field. But there’s no denying that a player as dynamic as Parsons inherently changes the texture of this matchup with his presence alone, particularly when it comes to attempting to limit a game-changing quarterback like Williams.

Several months after the Bears eliminated the Parsons-less Packers from the postseason, it seems obvious that the pass-rusher doesn’t have a short memory about how the Bears humiliated his Packers last year.

In a short teaser clip of this year’s NFL Top 100 Players list, several prominent league stars give their short answer on the league’s best player in 2026. When the video flashes to Parsons, he says “Iceman,” referring to the fitting nickname bestowed upon Williams after the Bears’ remarkable run of comeback victories last season.

Parsons, a rival player rostered on the Bears’ biggest rival, thinks Williams is the NFL’s best player after one good season? I get the vision about projecting Williams’ future, who seems destined to take another leap in the second year of Ben Johnson’s system, but that doesn’t feel like what Parsons was doing here.

I’m sorry, but something doesn’t quite add up about this sentiment:

To me, Parsons gassing Williams up to this degree feels like a play. Because c’mon. Does anyone who is considered a serious person think Williams is the NFL’s best player at this point in time? I do think there’s a possibility he earns that title over the next few years, or at least becomes a warranted name in that conversation, because he is plenty talented enough for that to happen. But the cache of individual and team success is not yet there for the Bears’ third-year quarterback. Not even close.

Parsons knows Williams embarrassed his Packers in two straight games when he wasn’t playing. He also knows the Madden 27 cover boy is getting the glitz and glamor treatment as the first potential franchise quarterback one of the NFL’s most popular teams has ever had.

So, why not put another target on Williams’ back? Why not try to ensure that Williams lets all the news clippings get to his head? Why not try to give himself and his Packers teammates extra motivation to exact vengeance on the quarterback and his team this coming season?

Maybe Parsons really does think Williams is the NFL’s best player. That, or he will have that reputation after 2026 concludes. After all, this “rivalry” stuff that fans care so much about sometimes fades into the background for high-level athletes who, when the dust settles, simply respect their peers’ and competitors’ games. Parsons showing admiration for an elite quarterback he has to try to slow down at least twice a year for the rest of his career isn’t that crazy.

But I don’t buy it. Parsons is up to something with this glowing compliment for Williams. I just don’t know what.

All I’m sure of is that it’s definitely nothing good for the Bears.