The Green Bay Packers have gotten a promising read on Micah Parsons’ long-term outlook, and it points to the kind of player Green Bay thought it was getting when it made the blockbuster move.
Parsons tore his ACL and also suffered a meniscus injury against the Denver Broncos on December 14 of last season, and there’s been plenty of debate about when he’ll be back. Some believe a Week 6 return is possible, while others are looking closer to Week 10. For now, the Packers are clearly taking the cautious route, knowing his health matters more than rushing him onto the field too soon.
Still, one former NFL executive told Packers Roundtable that the injury is not expected to alter Parsons’ career trajectory.
"Micah is still going to be Micah," the executive stated. "With modern medicine, the ACL tear isn't going to be something that changes his career. Green Bay is still going to have its defensive face for years to come and he's still going to be the same game-wrecker he was before."
The executive didn’t stop there. He also believes Parsons may come back with even more fire.
"His entire career, doubters and critics have been a motivating factor. The trade from Dallas and his beef with Jerry (Jones) were already a chip on his shoulder. Now, he's going to have even more juice with so many questions about the injury limiting his career."
That’s an encouraging outlook for a player whose style has always been built on relentless pressure and explosive disruption. There has been real concern about whether Parsons will look like the same defender once he returns, but the expectation here is that Green Bay will still have the same force coming off the edge.
Parsons’ first season with the Packers backed up the hype from the trade. He appeared in 14 games and finished with 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defended pass.
At 27, he still has plenty of runway ahead of him in Green Bay. The injury was a setback, no question, but it’s not hard to see why Brian Gutekunst would still make the same deal knowing what Parsons brought to the defense and what he could bring once he’s fully healthy again.
For the Packers, patience is the play. And when Parsons does get back, the expectation is that he’ll be a major factor for Green Bay both late in the season and into the playoffs.
In Other News...
Packers Pass Rush May Be Stuck Waiting On Josh Sweat
The Packers have been looking for help off the edge while Micah Parsons works back from injury, and Josh Sweat has emerged as one of the names to watch. Sweat is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list with knee maintenance, and he has also reportedly submitted a trade request, putting Green Bay in the mix as it tries to strengthen a pass rush that could use another proven piece.
For now, though, the path to a deal is cloudy. Green Bay has shown interest, but the sides have not found common ground on what Sweat is worth, and the Cardinals are in no rush to make a move with the trade deadline still ahead. Until that changes, the Packers may have to keep waiting and keep weighing other options while this one remains in limbo. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Campbell Is Forcing A Packers Roster Decision Nobody Expected
Anthony Campbell has turned a quiet training camp opportunity into something the Packers have to take seriously. The former Miami defensive tackle has flashed early in Green Bay with sturdy run defense and a knack for getting his hands up at the line, the sort of traits that usually buy a defensive lineman more attention as camp wears on.
He has also started to nudge his way into a more meaningful conversation along the interior, where roster spots are never easy to come by. With preseason still ahead and more evaluations to come, the Packers do not have to sort out their defensive line picture yet, but Campbells emergence is making an expected decision a little less straightforward than it looked a week ago. [Read more 🡒]