Buccaneers Will Avoid Playing NFL Superstar Against Packers in 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 4 matchup will be a little easier than they expected.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons walks to his seat during the first quarter of the game between the Dallas Mavericks | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot to prove in 2026, and unfortunately, they'll be trying to prove it during a very tough schedule.

The Bucs are playing a second-place schedule after losing out to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South, but their opponents remain tough. They'll play opponents like the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, among others, in an effort to improve on their 8-9 season from 2025.

The Bucs are set to face some vaunted edge rushers, such as newly traded Rams defender Myles Garrett. But there's one elite pass rusher that the Bucs are set to avoid early on in the season.

Buccaneers Won't Face Micah Parsons in Week 4

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) walks off the field with help from medical personnel | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers are set to play the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 in what should be a very tough matchup. That game would be quite difficult if elite edge rusher Micah Parsons were playing, but Parsons confirmed that won't be the case on Thursday.

Parsons, who tore his ACL and his meniscus during a Week 15 game against the Denver Broncos last December, told media that he would be on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the year, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. A placement on the PUP list mandates at least four games missed, and given that the Bucs play the Packers in Week 4, they'll officially avoid him in 2026 (in the regular season, at least).

#Packers star Micah Parsons makes clear that he'll begin the 2026 season on the PUP list, offering a target of mid-October until he's on the field. With a long career ahead, no shortcuts. https://t.co/vixamoHg7v

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 3, 2026

That's good news for Tampa Bay. Parsons is a game wrecker, and he was still quite productive before tearing his ACL. He had 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss by the time he injured himself last year, and he's never put up a season with less than 12 sacks in his entire NFL career.

That being said, there will still be plenty to contend with against the Packers. Quarterback Jordan Love has established himself as one of the league's best signal callers, and Green Bay has also retooled its defense in an effort to keep up with a very tough NFC North gauntlet. The game is at home, which could be an advantage for the Bucs, but they'll have to come into the matchup ready for a grueling battle.

Tampa Bay is preparing for that now during its second week of OTAs. The Bucs will have one more week of OTAs next week before moving on to mandatory minicamp, which starts on June 16.

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