Micah Parsons reveals serious details about knee injury that provide clearer timeline for his return to the field for the Packers
Besides his ACL tear, the star edge defender also went through a meniscus procedure. He’s set to return in October.
Micah Parsons will inevitably have to wait until October to return to the field. During a conversation with local media in Green Bay during Packers OTAs, the star edge defender revealed that he is four months away from returning to the field. That means he’s set to get back in early October, missing three or four games to start the regular season for the Packers.
In addition to his ACL injury, Parsons also had a meniscus procedure. He suffered a knee injury on Dec. 14. The nine-month clock started ticking when the surgery happened in late December, which means he will have limitations through the end of September.
“We have a pretty strong nine-month rule,” Parsons said. “It’s just all about just do the research and the data. There’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you’re having other things getting fixed up.”
Main goal for Parsons
It’s not a surprise for the Packers that Parsons will miss the first few games of the season. That has been the expectation all along. The All-Pro defender’s goal is not to rush his return, but to be fully healthy by the end of the season.
“The goal for me is to complete the season,” Parsons affirmed. “The goal has always been playoffs.”
It’s still unclear if Micah Parsons will start the regular season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. If that happens, he would be forced to miss the first four games — at Minnesota Vikings, at New York Jets, vs. Atlanta Falcons, and at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He could return on Oct. 11 against the Chicago Bears in Week 5.
That Bucs game on Oct. 4, though, is his first realistic return window. If the Packers want to keep the door open for having Parsons in the game, they have to keep him on the active 53-man roster and waste a spot for three games — which is not necessarily a big issue, since any team can only activate 48 players per game anyway.
But because the Packers tend to be cautious with serious injuries, they could just decide to place him on PUP and make sure that he’s fully healthy for a Week 5 return.
Long-term perspective
Part of the reason why the Packers were willing to give up so much to acquire Micah Parsons in the first place was his age. He’s only 27. So the main priority for the team and the player is to make sure the injury won’t affect his career trajectory.
Parsons is under contract for four more years, set to make $40.837 million in 2026, $38 million in 2027, $41 million in 2028, and $45 million in 2029. The guarantees roll through 2028, giving the Packers an out option ahead of the 2029 season if needed. However, that’s obviously not what the franchise wants. And taking a cautious approach is part of the calculus to make sure Parsons will be around for a long time.