DETROIT -- Once the news broke that Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons was being traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers last week, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff wasn't as shocked as most NFL fans.
Goff said he was privy to behind-the-scenes chatter that Parsons -- one of the league's top defenders -- could be headed to an NFC North division rival. With the Lions set to visit Parsons and the Packers in their Week 1 matchup on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Goff says he welcomes the challenge.
"He's a great player and adds to an already competitive division and certainly is a tough player to face," Goff said of the Parsons trade. "But we'll see. We'll see. I know he had the back injury, so we'll see if he ends up being out there."
Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday that Parsons has been dealing with an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back and may receive an injection before Sunday's game. He was a limited participant in Monday's practice.
But Parsons' presence only adds extra spice to a road trip to Lambeau Field that already had Lions head coach Dan Campbell and the team fired up.
The Lions have won three straight in Green Bay. And with a win on Sunday, they would tie the franchise's longest win streak at the storied stadium (1986-91) -- an opportunity and a venue that needs no introduction for Campbell & Co.
"Man, we love Lambeau. It's awesome. That's one of those places, on the eighth day, the good Lord made Lambeau so we can go out there and play in it," Campbell said. "First Super Bowl [team], Ice Bowl, the history it's got. It's in the same location.
"It's been upgraded, all those, but it's got that deep history to it. It's the grass, man, it's the elements, it's just the mystique. It's awesome," he said. "If you love football, you love going to play there. So, our guys look forward to it. It's one of those special places to go play."
The Lions swept the Packers last season and Campbell has gone 6-2 against Green Bay since being hired in 2021. That recent history has the Lions confident about their preparation for this week's game plan, with or without Parsons on the field.
"Nothing changes to be honest. It is what it is. Everybody knows what's expected and what's the standard," said Lions All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell of Parsons' presence in Green Bay. "All that outside noise, that's up to them. We just come in each and every day to work to work and that's it."
Coming off a franchise-best 15-win season in 2024, Detroit is looking to win its third consecutive NFC North title, but the narrative has flipped following the massive move in Green Bay. The Lions moved from +135 to win the NFC North before the Parsons trade to +185 now, according to ESPN BET. Detroit also moved from +900 to win the Super Bowl pre-trade to 10-1 now. On the flip side, the Packers moved from +260 to win the NFC North pre-trade to +175 now. Green Bay has also moved from 20-1 to win the Super Bowl pre-trade to 13-1 now.
On an individual note, Parsons also leapfrogged Lions star Aidan Hutchinson as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year this season. Parsons is 5-1 after being 8-1 pre-trade.
Despite the fluctuating expectations outside of the team, inside the Lions locker room, Goff and his teammates are embracing taking on an underdog role -- something they were accustomed to before last year's breakout campaign.
"It's confusing because I don't even know where we stand externally. I don't know what people -- and I don't really care, but like are we supposed to be good? Are we supposed to be bad? All these different storylines," Goff said. "So, we don't -- you can't ride that roller coaster, and we don't. And we shall see, time will tell. Going to try to win this first one and move on from there ... I like being on this side of it more when they've had us."
The Lions will face the NFL's second-most-difficult schedule, according to preseason projections, and will play five prime-time games -- a reminder of the elevated profile this team has experienced over the past two years.
As they look ahead to the opener against the Packers, veteran running back David Montgomery said the Lions view the Week 1 encounter as a tone-setter, and a chance to establish who they are right out of the gate.
"I definitely enjoy it a lot. That's the joy of being able to start with a division opponent," Montgomery told ESPN. "Being able to kind of see where we're at in the division, starting off strong, so that's a great opponent that we're getting ready to see, so it'd be kind of cool to see how much work we've done over the last year and see how much we've improved and see how we're going to put it on the field."