The Green Bay Packers are getting star edge rusher Micah Parsons back at practice this week. However, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the plan is for Parsons to not participate in regular-season activities until November 25. Rapoport joined the Pat McAfee Show and noted that the likely timeline for him returning in the regular season is not until Week 12, when the team plays the Los Angeles Rams.
"It's going to be individual work this week, teamwork next week, and then they have the strange bye before the Wednesday game, which is just a really weird scheduling thing," explained Rapoport on why Parsons will not play before Week 12. "Then they have the Wednesday game."
Rapoport noted that the Wednesday game, Week 12, is when he expects Parsons to return. If Parsons returns this week, it would give him all 21 days of his practice window to get into game shape.
"I would imagine he's going to take it right up until playing that Wednesday game against the Rams; it is nationally televised," said Rapoport. "I think it's a Netflix game. It's a big one."
However, the NFL insider made it clear that Parsons would not be hitting the ground running. The team is going to take it easy in his return.
"It will be as slow and conservative as you could possibly imagine," said Rapoport about how much work Parsons will get in his debut. "Micah is fully on board with this and ready to roll."
The initial plan was for Parsons to return by Week 6. The team has made it clear that he did not have a setback, but rather he is just not progressing as quickly as they would have liked.
When asked where the Week 6 timeline came from, Rapoport made it clear that the Packers and Parsons did expect him back around that time.
"He said it," added Rapoport on the reported timeline. "He hoped it in, I think, in June, and then, when you got closer, it was kind of like, 'Maybe this medical staff's not going to let me do that."
So, it sounds like the Packers are the ones being more cautious. If it were up to Parsons, he would have returned by now.
While Green Bay expects Parsons to practice this week, they did not officially open his window. Rapoport made it clear that the plan is likely to have Parsons practice for at least two weeks before returning.
It could be a major return for the team after the bye week. All eyes will be on when Parsons returns and how he looks this week if he does. The Packers face the New England Patriots in Week 9.
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