Micah Parsons won’t be on the field for the start of the 2026 NFL season, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the awards conversation.
The Green Bay Packers edge rusher is set to miss the first four games, a hit that leaves the defense exposed early. Still, the idea here is simple: once Parsons is back, he could change the whole shape of the Packers’ season.
That’s why ESPN’s Dan Graziano sees a path for Parsons to enter the Comeback Player of the Year race anyway. As Graziano wrote, "Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons if Green Bay makes a second-half defensive turnaround and a playoff run once he returns," Graziano writes.
It’s a high bar, no question. Missing the opening month makes the climb steeper, and an award like this usually demands a player to be front and center from the jump. But Parsons has the kind of profile that keeps the door open.
He has been elite in every NFL season so far, and his sack totals have never dipped below 12.0. That kind of production gives him a real chance to make up ground quickly if he returns healthy and immediately starts wrecking games.
The challenge is timing. Parsons will have to do major damage in roughly three-quarters of a season, and that means his impact would need to be obvious enough to lift Green Bay’s defense into the conversation as one of the league’s best after his return.
There are other names in the mix, too, including Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels. But Parsons’ case is built on the idea that a midseason return could spark such a dramatic defensive turnaround that voters won’t be able to overlook him.
Defensive Player of the Year is a tougher climb. Comeback Player of the Year, though, is very much on the table if Parsons comes back healthy, keeps his 12-sack streak alive and helps the Packers finish strong.
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