Micah Parsons Breaks 100-Year Tradition with No. 1 Jersey in Green Bay

What you're seeing is real, Packers fans: Micah Parsons is really in green and gold, and Green Bay suddenly has legitimate hopes of winning the NFC and perhaps winning another game afterward. 

Whether the Parsons era brings another Lombardi Trophy back to the city Vince Lombardi called home during his head coaching career is unknown. What the Packers do know is they have one of the NFL's most feared defensive players under contract through 2029 after a blockbuster trade with the Cowboys executed a week before the start of the season.

Parsons donned a new number when he first took the field as a Packer — a number not worn by any member of the team in nearly a century.

Here's what you need to know about Parsons' new number and its history in Green Bay.

What number is Micah Parsons?

After wearing No. 11 in Dallas, Parsons chose to wear No. 1 with the Packers. 

The number has a special significance in Packers history, as it had not been worn since team co-founder Curly Lambeau donned No. 1 in 1925 and 1926. The number was never formally retired, but WR Jayden Reed was told as recently as 2023 that it was unavailable.

That Parsons was able to secure No. 1 speaks to how highly the Packers view him. Not only did the team give up two first-round picks and a respected defensive player to get him, but Green Bay made him easily the NFL's highest-paid defensive player and handed out a jersey number that could have been considered unofficially retired before this season.

Here is a look at the reason Parsons couldn't keep wearing No. 11.

Why is Micah Parsons No. 1?

Parsons' No. 11, which he wore in college and with the Cowboys, is already being worn by Jayden Reed. Parsons could have attempted to work out a deal to acquire No. 11 from Reed, but he instead took advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to break a nearly 100-year drought and wear No. 1. 

Before choosing No. 1, Parsons actually took the decision to the people, posing the question on X: "Should I go 0 or 1!" he asked.

Whether Parsons took the responses into serious consideration or not, he landed on No. 1. Rookie WR Matthew Golden, meanwhile, switched from No. 22 to No. 0 with Parsons taking No. 1, explaining that he had always wanted to wear a single-digit number.

Since the Packers turned down Reed's request to wear No. 1 in 2023, it doesn't seem likely the team would have allowed Golden to wear No. 1. By picking No. 1, Parsons ensured he, Golden and Reed are all satisfied with their jersey numbers.

Micah Parsons jersey number history

Parsons wore No. 11 during his time at Penn State and throughout his four seasons with the Cowboys. With Reed holding No. 11 in Green Bay, Parsons chose to switch to a different number for the first time since high school.

Parsons initially wore No. 90 in high school before switching to No. 23. At Penn State, he settled on No. 11 and wore it until his trade to the Packers in 2025.

DISRESPECTED AND KICKED OUT OF A LUXURY HOTEL, EAGLES LEGEND BRIAN DAWKINS RETURNED THE NEXT DAY — NOT TO COMPLAIN, BUT TO BUY THE ENTIRE BUILDING

Guests and staff at a luxury California hotel were left speechless when Philadelphia Eagles legend Brian Dawkins walked back through the lobby less than 24 hours after being disrespected.

The day before, Dawkins had arrived after a long community event, still dressed in casual clothes. A front desk clerk, making assumptions based on his appearance, refused to check him in, telling him the hotel was “fully booked” and subtly asking him to leave. The exchange was cold, dismissive, and fueled by assumptions that had nothing to do with Dawkins’ true identity.

Dawkins didn’t argue. He didn’t raise his voice. He simply walked out.

But the next morning, everything changed. Dawkins returned — now dressed in a sharp suit, accompanied by his legal team. In his hand were the signed ownership papers. Without a word of anger, he walked straight to the desk, laid the papers down, and calmly said,
“I’ll be staying here tonight. In my hotel.”

The lobby fell silent. The very people who had dismissed him hours earlier were now working for him. Dawkins didn’t rush to fire anyone; instead, he gathered the staff to talk about respect, dignity, and the dangers of judging someone based on appearances.

What started as an insult became a masterclass in grace, power, and redemption. For everyone in the lobby, it became a story they’d never forget — the day Brian Dawkins turned disrespect into ownership.