Micah Parsons was never expected to be a quick fix after tearing his ACL in Week 15 last season, but the latest update is a tough one for the Packers to hear.
Parsons had reconstructive knee surgery two weeks after the injury, including a procedure on his meniscus, and Green Bay opened the 2026 season by putting him on the Physically Unable to Perform list. What had started to look like a possible Week 6 return has now been pushed back again. Parsons still has not been medically cleared to practice, and earlier this week Matt LaFleur said the team was getting closer but that there was still work to do before he could get back on the field.
On Saturday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Parsons is still not ready to practice and may be out for a while longer. According to Pelissero, a return before Green Bay’s Week 9 game against the New England Patriots on Nov. 8 is unlikely at the earliest.
That leaves the Packers to keep grinding without their top pass rusher, and so far they’ve handled it better than plenty of teams would. Green Bay enters Week 6 at 3-2 after bouncing back from losses to the Vikings and Falcons with wins over the Buccaneers and Jets. Then came a 31-7 demolition of the Bears in Week 5, a game in which the defense forced five turnovers and gave up only one touchdown.
Even with Parsons sidelined, the numbers have held up. Through five games, the Packers are eighth in the league in total yards allowed at 308.6 per game and sit in the top half in points allowed at 22.4 per game.
A big chunk of that scoring damage came in two lopsided losses - a 39-22 defeat in Minnesota and a 35-14 loss to Atlanta. In the other three games combined, Green Bay allowed 38 points.
There are still questions about how the defense will stand up against better passing attacks, but for now it has done enough to survive without Parsons.
And when he does come back, the Packers expect a major lift. Parsons had 12.5 sacks and 27 quarterback hits in just 14 games with Green Bay last year, production that suddenly looks even more important with games looming against the Patriots, Vikings, Rams, Bills, Bears and Lions.
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