The Green Bay Packers lost a weird and wonky game to the Detroit Lions in Week 7 that included missed kicks, untimely turnovers, play-calling so aggressive it bordered on lunacy and finally, some incredibly questionable officiating. And needless to say, one of these things is not like the others.
Poor refereeing does not belong on the list of defining characteristics for a game as exciting and important as the one between the Packers and Lions at Ford Field on Sunday, October 25. And, as it happens, superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons took to social media to make that precise point after his team lost in Detroit on a last-second field goal.
“@NFL, @NFLOfficiating let’s just go to flag football if every time a QB gets touched it’s roughing the passer!” Parsons posted to his X account.
NFL Can Fine Packers Pass-Rusher Micah Parsons for Comments
Parsons missed his seventh consecutive contest of the season on Sunday as he continues to rehabilitate from an ACL tear that sidelined him back in December of 2025.
So while Parsons did not have a microphone in front of him and did not make his comments directly to reporters and television cameras following Green Bay’s disappointing three-point loss on Sunday, he clearly criticized the league and its officials in a public context.
And that, typically, means a punishment from the NFL.
Parsons’ actions did not rise anywhere close to the level of a suspension-worthy infraction. However, he could definitely face a significant fine for criticizing the referees, as the league views doing so as a player undermining the integrity of the game.
Officials Called Phantom Penalty on Brenton Cox Jr. After He Fell Into Jared Goff
Parsons’ comments came in reference to a play in the fourth quarter, during which pass-rusher Brenton Cox Jr. hit Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the midsection following a pass attempt.
And while Cox certainly made contact with Goff well after the QB released the football, Cox did so seemingly by accident because he stumbled and his momentum carried him into Goff.
Tom Brady, who was the color analyst on the call for FOX Sports during the game, called out the whistle as highly questionable right in the middle of the broadcast.
“Oh my goodness, what is that? There’s no way,” Brady said. “It’s definitely not roughing the passer.”
However, the officials disagreed with Brady and Parsons and let the call stand.
That flag did not decide the outcome of the game, but it certainly had an impact on the tone and tenor at that point in the action. Several media analysts and fans took to social media to criticize the crew working the Packers-Lions game specifically, and those critiques were not limited to the phantom roughing the passer call in question.
Also, the number of flags officials are throwing this year has been higher than in any season in recent memory and is drawing heavy criticism from those who pay attention to the sport for how the penalties are impacting both the flow and outcome of NFL games.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Could Face Punishment for Calling Out NFL After Lions Loss