Lukas Van Ness gave the Green Bay Packers exactly the kind of lift they hoped for early in the season, but the recent dip in production has put more pressure on him to bring that same edge back during a key stretch.
The young pass rusher arrived in the 2026 season with plenty to prove. Green Bay selected him 13th overall in 2023, and for stretches of his career, he hasn’t looked like a player who belonged in that spot. He has just 12 total sacks in his career, and too often he has been overmatched.
This year, though, Van Ness has looked different. He has already piled up four sacks and appears far more comfortable than he has at any previous point in his time with the Packers.
The surge started fast, too. He had three sacks in his first two games and immediately looked like a difference-maker.
That early momentum has cooled. Over the last four games, his numbers have come down, and Green Bay’s pass rush has felt the impact.
In last week’s 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, Van Ness was held completely in check. He didn’t record a sack, a quarterback hit, or even a tackle.
It was the first game all season in which he finished without a tackle of any kind.
The broader trend isn’t hard to spot. According to PFF, Van Ness produced three sacks and four quarterback hits in the Packers’ first three games.
Since then, he has managed only one sack and one quarterback hit. He has compensated somewhat by increasing his quarterback “hurries” total and has done a solid job making quarterbacks get the ball out quickly.
His overall pass-rushing grades have still held up. PFF gave him a 76 overall in Green Bay’s two wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.
That suggests the Lions game was more of a temporary slowdown than a full reversal. Still, after opening the year like a major piece of the Packers’ pass rush, he has been kept quieter lately than they need.
With Micah Parsons still preparing to play, Van Ness remains an important part of the equation. The Packers need him not just to create pressure, but to finish the job and get to the quarterback.
The foundation is there. Now they need the results to catch up.
In Other News...
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Matthew Goldens status is still being worked through and his availability against Carolina is uncertain, which leaves Green Bay with one more decision to sort out before kickoff. If Golden cant go, the Packers may need to turn to Isaiah Neyor from the practice squad for the first time this season, a reminder that even a routine injury report can quickly reshape the depth chart on a Thursday night. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleurs Micah Parsons Update Gives Packers Fans Real Hope
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For now, though, the timeline remains cautious. Parsons has already been ruled out for Week 8, leaving Week 9 against the Patriots as the earliest possible return if his progress in practice keeps moving in the right direction. Until he gets that first full practice under his belt, the Packers can only treat this as encouraging news rather than a true comeback date. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Parsons Just Gave One AFC Contender A Ton Of Hype
Micah Parsons used his podcast to put a surprising spotlight on Cincinnati, saying he believes the Bengals can climb all the way to the AFC's top spot and earn the conferences first-round bye. It was the kind of public vote of confidence that tends to travel fast in the NFL, especially when it comes from a player with Parsons profile and when the team in question has already built a rsum that suggests it belongs in the conversation.
Cincinnati has been stacking up results behind an offense that stays dangerous and a defense that has taken a noticeable step forward. Joe Burrow has been efficient from the pocket, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase keep giving the Bengals a pair of high-end targets, and the overall profile is strong enough that Parsons saw a team capable of finishing among the leagues best on both sides of the ball. For a contender still trying to separate itself from the pack, that kind of outside belief only adds to the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]