Micah Parsons will have to wait a little longer before making his Packers debut.
Green Bay has moved its star pass rusher to Reserve/PUP, a move that keeps him out for the first four games of the season and pushes his return back to at least Week 5, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X. The decision came ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline and reflects the team’s cautious plan for a player coming off a torn ACL.
Schefter wrote, “The Packers have officially moved Micah Parsons to Reserve/PUP, ruling him out for this season’s first four games.”
That means Parsons’ 2026 debut won’t come until at least Week 5, giving the organization extra time before putting him back into a regular-season game and asking his surgically repaired knee to handle live action.
Parsons has made it clear he isn’t spending much time worrying about the injury itself. He told reporters, via Ryan Wood, that people should pay less attention to his knee and more to the anger and frustration he plans to bring once he’s back on the field.
Even with that confidence, Green Bay is taking the long view. The Packers would rather hold him back now than rush one of their biggest defensive weapons into the lineup before he’s ready.
Last season, Parsons posted 12.5 sacks, and the Packers will need someone else to help cover that production while he sits out the opening stretch. For his part, Parsons says he believes the offense can carry its weight, and he singled out Jordan Love when speaking with Bleacher Report.
“I think Jordan is going to be a top 5 quarterback this year, and I think he is going to show the world how great he really can be.”
With Love expected to take another step and Parsons waiting in the wings, Green Bay will try to stay on track early before its defensive centerpiece finally gets the green light.
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