Edge defender is expected to miss the first few games of the regular season, and Schefter mentions he's a candidate for the PUP list.
It's not exactly a surprise, but it's still an unfortunate reality for the Green Bay Packers
. On Thursday, NFL insider Adam Schefter
mentioned on ESPN that edge defender Micah Parsons
is in fact expected to miss the first few games
of the 2026 regular season, still recovering
from the ACL injury he suffered in December.
"The feeling within the organization has been that Parsons would miss the early part of the season and be back early on," Schefter said. "He'll be a candidate to be placed on the physically unable to perform list. Three to four games potentially missed."
Based on NFL rules, Parsons would be forced to miss at least four games if he starts the season on the PUP list. If the Packers want him back earlier than that, they would have to waste a 53-man roster spot for a few games - which is totally fine, since you can only activate 48 players for each game anyway.
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There's time to make a decision
Micah Parsons is still relatively early in his recovery process. His injury happened exactly five months ago, and the regular season is still four months away. The Packers tend to be cautious with significant injuries, so it's not a surprise that they're expecting a longer recovery time.
"But again, we're still four months away from the time the season starts, there's time for him to recover, time for him to get back," Schefter added. "But it certainly feels like the tone has been, and the expectation has been that Parsons will miss some time to start the season."
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The NFL will release its full regular season schedule
on Thursday night, but it does look like the league was intentional about Parsons' timeline. Based on early leaks and announcements, Green Bay
faces the Minnesota Vikings
, New York Jets
, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in three of their first four games of the season - there's an unconfirmed rumor the other one would be against the Atlanta Falcons
.
Another rumor indicates the Packers would play the Chicago Bears in Week 5
. That could be Parsons' potential return from the PUP list, if he's healthy.
Micah Parsons himself
has said that he would likely not be ready to play in Week 1, but his initial goal was to get back in September. That doesn't look like the most realistic scenario at this point, but an early October return is more feasible.
