Packers set the stage for Micah Parsons’ return, and the timing offers a major clue about his availability
The All-Pro edge defender is back in a practice window more than 10 months after tearing his ACL against the Denver Broncos.
The Green Bay Packers have finally reached the point where Micah Parsons’ return is imminent. On Wednesday, the Packers are designating the star edge defender to return from the physically unable to perform list and opening his 21-day practice window ahead of the Week 9 game against the New England Patriots.
That doesn’t mean Parsons will play against New England. Week 9 isn’t the likeliest scenario. Still, the move gives Green Bay a three-week window to get one of the best defensive players in the NFL back on the field, and the clock is now officially running.
How the 21-day window works
The practice window gives the Packers flexibility. Parsons can practice with his teammates, get back in football shape, and go through a ramp-up period without counting against the 53-man roster limit.
Green Bay can activate Parsons at any point during those 21 days. Once the window closes, though, the Packers have to add him to the 53-man roster, otherwise his season would be over.
Parsons tore his ACL on Dec. 14 last season against the Denver Broncos. He then had surgery on Dec. 29 to repair the ACL and a meniscus injury. More than 10 months later, he is set to be on the practice field with the Packers this week.
The most likely scenario is that Parsons returns in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams, right after the bye. That timeline would use most of the practice window, which makes sense for a player coming off a major knee injury. It would also give Parsons the bye week as an extra layer of recovery before he takes the field in a game.
The investment behind Parsons
It’s hard to overstate how much Green Bay committed to Parsons. The Packers traded for him in August last season, sending two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys. They then signed Parsons to a four-year, $186 million contract extension.
He delivered right away. In his first season with the Packers, Parsons had 12 sacks, ranked among the most productive edge rushers in football, and was named a first-team All-Pro.
The injury was a massive blow for a team that built its defense around his ability to pressure the quarterback. Green Bay simply doesn’t have another player who can affect the passer at the same rate, even though new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has been able to manufacture pressure.
It’s a great moment to have Parsons back
The Packers enter Week 9 with a 5-3 record. That’s a solid mark, but it isn’t enough to sit at the top of the NFC North, which has been the most competitive division in football.
The second half of the season is where the division race will be decided. Every game against a division rival carries extra weight, and Green Bay needs to start stacking wins to keep pace.
Getting an All-Pro pass rusher back during that stretch changes the outlook for the entire defense. Parsons doesn’t need to be at 100% right away to make an impact. Even a partial workload would force opposing offenses to account for him, and that opens up opportunities for the rest of the pass rush.
The Packers will take it one step at a time, and the practice window allows them to do exactly that. If Parsons is back on the field after the bye, his return can be the boost Green Bay needs at the moment it needs him most.
