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Patriots unlikely to face Packers’ Micah Parsons even with practice return looming
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- Patriots unlikely to face Packers’ Micah Parsons even with practice return looming
The Green Bay Packers are getting some reinforcement ahead of their upcoming game with the New England Patriots. Micah Parsons, the four-time All-Pro edge rusher, is set to return to practice this week.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur announced the news on Monday.
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"That would be the intention," he said during a press conference. "It's going to be a process trying to get him back. We're hopeful. It's going to be dependent on the next couple of days, but we're hopeful it's going to be sometime this week."
Parsons, 27, started the regular season on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL last December. When he went down, the Packers' high-profile trade acquisition via the Dallas Cowboys had 12.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles on his 2025 résumé.
While Parsons returning to practice opens the window for his return to Green Bay's active roster and would make him eligible to play in Sunday's contest in Foxborough, an immediate return to game action is not a guarantee. Last week, Rob Demovsky of ESPN noted that "[e]ven if Parsons practices next week, it would be highly unlikely he could play in the Week 9 game at the Patriots."
According to a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Nov. 25 against the Los Angeles Rams is Parsons' targeted return date.
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LeFleur hinted at that approach as well on Monday.
"Like everything around here, it's pretty fluid in terms of how he responds and just the progress he's going to, hopefully, continue to make leading up to when he's available," he said. "If I had a bet on it, it's going to be more toward the longer end than the shorter end."
For the Patriots, facing a Parsons-less Packers team is the preferred scenario. Even if not at a 100%, he has the ability to make game-changing plays against an offensive line that has had to deal with its fair share of injury questions this season.
The Patriots have lost both of their starting guards to injury, while both of their tackles also got banged up at one point. Heading into Sunday's game, New England's projected O-line will feature Will Campbell and Morgan Moses at tackle, with two of Ben Brown, Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse flanking center Jared Wilson at the guard positions.
Kickoff between the two storied franchise is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 8.
