The Packers are taking a cautious line with Micah Parsons, and Brian Gutekunst made it plain that a season-opening return is not the expectation.
“Yeah, I’d like to have enough flexibility to leave the door open. But that would be unlikely, just from a timing perspective,” Gutekunst said, via PFT. “We’ve invested a lot in him, so we want to make sure he’s ready to go before we even think about putting him out there.”
That lines up with what The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman said on The Pat McAfee Show: he expects Parsons to miss the first month-and-a-half of the season. Schneidman pointed to Green Bay’s medical approach, saying the team has a strict no-football rule for the first nine months after a torn ACL.
Parsons tore his ACL last December, so Schneidman expects him to begin the season on the PUP list. He added that Parsons could make his 2026 debut in Week 6 at home against the Cowboys, his former team.
Green Bay’s front office also had plenty to say about the rest of the roster. Ed Policy praised the organization’s top football voices after their offseason extensions: “I couldn’t be more excited about the three men we have leading our football team.
That’s why we extended their contracts this offseason.” Gutekunst also said Jordan Morgan had a “great spring” as he moved into the starting left tackle job, adding, “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.
Hopefully keeping him in that one spot will help him progress a little bit quicker.”
At tight end, Gutekunst said Tucker Kraft being ready for Week 1 is “very much a possibility.” Luke Musgrave, though, is dealing with a neck injury, and Gutekunst said, “We’re working through it to figure out if it’s gonna be long term.”
The Packers’ kicker situation is still unsettled, too. Gutekunst said the team likes Trey Smack, but it will keep considering Lenny Kreig because of his international pathway player exemption.
On Smack, Gutekunst said, “We really like Trey. We really like what he’s made of.
We are really optimistic Smack can be (a championship kicker).”
There was also a firm answer from right tackle Zach Tom, who was asked whether he could return from his knee injury before Week 1. “It’s not an option, I’m playing Week 1,” Tom said.
Elsewhere in the division, the Bears are already looking ahead with Darnell Wright. GM Ryan Poles confirmed the team wants to lock up the right tackle long term.
“Darnell is a guy we want here long term,” Poles said, via Bears Wire. “It takes two sides to get things done.
But at the end of the day, I don’t want any distractions or anything like that. So, when it’s time to go play football, we’ll go play football and keep it moving.
But, yeah, he’s a guy we would like here for a while.”
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams also said he dropped 10-15 pounds by eating clean, avoiding food after 7 p.m., and prioritizing sleep as part of his effort to improve his health and movement.
In Minnesota, the focus is on Kyler Murray’s first season with the Vikings, and the early word from people who know him is that the fit could work. One anonymous former Cardinals coach told Alec Lewis of The Athletic that Murray should be fine in Kevin O’Connell’s system.
“We tried to be as much ‘quick game’ as possible from a protection mindset,” the coach said. “If he plays the way (O’Connell) wants him to play and he plays on time, and his feet and eyes are timed up, he won’t have any issue.”
Lincoln Riley, Murray’s former college coach at Oklahoma, said Vikings fans should be excited about what they’re about to see.
“ If I were a Vikings fan,” Riley said. “I’d be licking my chops seeing how motivated this cat is right now. It is off the charts.”
A former Cardinals executive went even further, saying Murray has always wanted accountability and could thrive with Minnesota’s offensive talent.
“He has always wanted to be held accountable. I think a lack of that at times may have led to some of the inconsistencies.
If I was a betting man, I would bet that you’re going to see some wild s- this year. To have the talent he is, with the talent (the Vikings) have, and to have O’Connell, who has a great mind and a great way of seeing it, they could be a really scary team.”
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell also addressed a few other key pieces. He said he has spoken with Harrison Smith, who remains unsigned and has not retired, and that the two sides will keep talking.
O’Connell added that he met with both quarterbacks before training camp and that both will get first- and second-team reps. And he said there are no limitations on Christian Darrisaw’s knee: “He’s had a healthy offseason, and he’s really built up to a place where I know he’s excited to get going.”
In Other News...
Kyler Murray Might Finally Show Cardinals Fans What They Never Got
A fresh start has a way of sharpening the conversation around a quarterback, and Kyler Murray is already drawing plenty of it as he heads into his first year in Minnesota. Around the league, former Cardinals voices have been quick to weigh in on what the Vikings might be getting, with the general theme sounding familiar: the talent has never been the question, but the setting may finally help bring more of it out on a weekly basis.
One anonymous former Arizona coach went so far as to say fans will see the best version of Murray in Minnesota, while former Cardinals and current Commanders running back Chase Edmonds called this the most consistent version yet. Former Cardinals assistant Jordan Hogan added another layer to the picture, saying Murray wants to lean more toward being a pocket passer and avoid the kind of unnecessary hits that have too often shaped the conversation around him. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings First Round Record Just Got A Brutal Outside Verdict
Mike Renners latest CBS Sports ranking of every NFL first-round pick since 2020 put a harsh spotlight on the Vikings recent draft history. Minnesota had eight players included in the exercise, and the results were mixed enough to make the whole stretch look uneven, with a couple of the clubs best selections landing near the top of the list while others were pushed far down the board.
There is still some room for the picture to change, especially with younger pieces like Dallas Turner and Donovan Jackson not yet fully written into the long-term evaluation. But the overall verdict is clear enough to sting: for a team that has leaned on the first round to shape its future, the outside view says the return has been far from uniform, and the next update could matter just as much as the last one. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Adams Just Put More Pressure On His Vikings Arrival
Jamal Adams spoke to Minnesota reporters for the first time since joining the Vikings, and the conversation offered a quick look at why he landed here in the first place. Adams pointed to general manager Nolan Teasley and defensive coordinator Brian Flores as the main draws, while also stressing that his immediate job is to get comfortable in the system and pick up the terminology as quickly as possible.
The bigger question for Minnesota is what Adams can still be at this stage of his career, especially after the injury that changed his last few seasons. He talked about the challenge of getting back to full health and confidence, and he also framed himself as the kind of defender who can move around the formation and fill different roles. For the Vikings, that kind of flexibility is intriguing, but it only matters if the version of Adams they are bringing in can hold up once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]