The Green Bay Packers clawed their way into the playoffs to close out the 2025 season, but they did it without one of their biggest defensive weapons: Micah Parsons. The star linebacker went down with a season-ending knee injury late in the regular season, and his absence was felt across the board. Without Parsons flying around the field, the Packers' defense lost a step-and it showed.
Now, as the team looks ahead to 2026, the hope is that Parsons will be fully recovered and ready to return to form. But there's also a potential opportunity on the table that could elevate this defense from solid to scary: Khalil Mack is a free agent.
Yes, that Khalil Mack.
The veteran edge rusher, a nine-time Pro Bowler with 113 career sacks, is coming off a productive year with the Chargers. Despite being on the wrong side of 30-he’ll turn 35 before next season-Mack still showed he can get after the quarterback and hold his ground in the run game.
In 12 games during the 2025 season, Mack notched 5.5 sacks and earned a 79.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including a 77.2 mark against the run and a 13.2% pass-rush win rate. That’s not just serviceable; that’s impact-level production from a guy many thought might be nearing the end.
For Green Bay, the fit makes a lot of sense. Even with Parsons expected back, the Packers' pass rush took a major hit after his injury.
They finished the season with the 21st-ranked PFF pass-rush grade-far from the elite standard they’re aiming for. Adding Mack to the mix would give them a proven force off the edge, someone who can still win one-on-one battles and demand attention from opposing offensive lines.
And let’s not forget: it’s not just Parsons returning. Tight end Tucker Kraft, who also went down with a torn ACL, is expected back, giving the Packers reinforcements on both sides of the ball. But defense is the focus here, and pairing Parsons with a player like Mack-assuming Rashan Gary’s status remains uncertain-could give Green Bay a truly formidable front seven.
The Packers don’t want to be scraping into the playoffs as a 7-seed again. They’ve got a young quarterback coming into his own, a core of ascending talent, and a defense that, when healthy, has the potential to be a difference-maker. Bringing in a veteran like Mack wouldn’t just be about stats-it’d be about leadership, experience, and a relentless motor that still has juice.
If the Packers want to take that next step in 2026, this is the kind of move that could help get them there.