Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shared an update on Micah Parsons’ injury situation on Monday, and the edge defender’s recovery from a torn ACL is still moving at its own pace. During the offseason, Parsons said the most optimistic scenario was a return in Week 6, potentially against the Dallas Cowboys. That doesn’t seem likely anymore.

LaFleur confirmed Parsons won’t return to practice this week, as Tom Pelissero reported over the weekend. That rules Parsons out of the Week 5 game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It’s also highly unlikely Parsons would play in the Week 6 game against the Cowboys after just three days of practice.

Possible return dates

According to Pelissero, Parsons might not return to practice until November. In that scenario, he would also miss the Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions and the Week 8 game against the Carolina Panthers.

The first potential return date would then be against the New England Patriots on Nov. 8. The Packers could also wait one more week to bring him back at Lambeau Field because it has a natural grass surface. That game is against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 15.

The interesting aspect of that second option is the schedule that follows. Green Bay has its bye in Week 11, so a return against Minnesota would make for a softer reentry. Parsons could play one game, then get an extra week to recover before stacking more snaps.

LaFleur said Parsons has made progress in his recovery process, but the team still hasn’t determined when exactly he’ll be back.

“The guy is working his butt off to be out there,” LaFleur said. “We’ve made some ground over the last week, but where and when he’ll be available, time will tell. Looking forward to that day.”

Where the recovery stands

Parsons tore his ACL on Dec. 14 in the Week 15 game of last season against the Denver Broncos. He then had surgery to repair both his ACL and meniscus on Dec. 29.

That means the nine-month period the Packers establish for these cases is already over. Parsons has passed that mark, but he still has some ground to cover before his recovery is complete. Once it is, Green Bay will have its best defensive player back on the field.

Still, the Packers have no interest in rushing the process. And that’s because Parsons is a young player whom the team wants around for years. He’s under contract with Green Bay through 2029. The most important thing for the Packers is that Parsons makes a full recovery and continues as a big part of the team’s long-term plans. That matters much more than a few games during the season.

At the same time, his return would be massive. The Packers are 2-2 after four games, and the defense needs a player who can change games on his own.

How the practice window works

The Bears game would theoretically be the first one in which Parsons could come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. That won’t happen, but the rules give Green Bay plenty of flexibility.

The Packers can now open Parsons’ 21-day practice window whenever they want. Therefore, he can practice for up to three weeks without counting against the 53-man roster. He only takes up a roster spot once the team activates him to play in a game.

The window would give Parsons a proper ramp-up period once he’s able to practice, letting him build back toward full speed before Green Bay asks him to suit up on Sundays.