Micah Parsons Provides Peek Into Timeline, And It’s Maybe Not What You’re Hoping

GREEN BAY, Wis. – While Micah Parsons said he’s “extremely happy” with his return from last year’s torn ACL, it’s possible he’s going to miss a big chunk of the upcoming season – including two circle-them-on-the-calendar games.

Parsons suffered a torn ACL at Denver on Dec. 14. Not that there’s a good time for a torn ACL, but the timing of his injury was particularly bad because it knocked him out for the playoff push last year and almost certainly would sideline him for the start of the upcoming season.

Parsons provided insight into his comeback during a 20-minute conversation with reporters outside the team’s locker room on Wednesday. He will not rush himself back into the lineup and the team will not rush him back into the lineup.

“I think the goal has always been not right now but longevity with my career here, and I think they want that approach,” Parsons said. “We have a pretty good, strong nine-month rule. Through the research and the data, there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up.”

Parsons said he also had meniscus surgery.

“It’s just all about completing the rehab to the best of our ability and then seeing where we’re at from there,” he continued.

Asked if that meant ninth months until he can practice or nine months until he can play in a game, Parsons said he didn’t know. Then, he added:

“I just know it’s a pure nine months (of) no football.”

Nine months of no football, presumably, means just that. No football.

Nine months from Dec. 29 is Sept. 29. The following day would be the first practice of the week before the Week 4 game at Tampa Bay on Oct. 4.

Two games have been circled as potential comeback dates for Parsons. One is the Week 5 home game against the rival Chicago Bears. Would Parsons play in that game with what would amount to a two-week training camp? Given the importance of Parsons based on his talent and game-changing ability, not to mention his salary and the cost of acquiring him in last year’s blockbuster trade, that seems perhaps a little ambitious, even for him.

After that is the Week 6 home game against the Dallas Cowboys, his former team. That would give him three weeks of practice.

It’s not the start of the season that Parsons is targeting, though. Rather, it’s the end of the season. Parsons was acquired to help the Packers win the Super Bowl. So, that’s his focus.

“It’s about knowing when to go, and it’s all about feeling great,” Parsons said. “I don’t think Gutey [general manager Brian Gutekunst] or Nate [Weir, the head athletic trainer] or Matt [LaFleur] wants me to go out there if I’m not at 100 percent and risk re-injury and lose me for the year and it’s just a waste of a year.

“Everything is about playoffs and winning football games deep in [the season]. Yeah, those games are important, but maybe we don’t see Dallas twice, but we see Chicago twice and the games that we have in December or even more playoff games. Not to even look that far ahead, but we got a tough schedule this year, and I think for the betterment of everyone, everyone wants me at 100 (percent) and wants me in those games so we can make this championship run.”

For a full-throttle player with the ultimate all-gas, no-brake mentality, being patient has been a challenge.

Not surprisingly, there will be no Josh Sweat trade. So, will the Packers have enough without Micah Parsons?

Here's what Parsons said earlier today. ⬇️https://t.co/eRJ4Kp7e3l
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 3, 2026

“I would definitely say it is hard for me to accept,” he said. “Not only is it hard to accept that I’m going to miss more time than what I want but, obviously, hard to accept the injury. It constantly replays in my brain.

“Like, you don’t even know how much time I spent on Chat GPT about my injury and how I just can’t accept where I’m at. I’m like, ‘Man, how do I keep progressing and progressing? And it’s just nonstop, so that’s a very good question. I haven’t accepted it yet, but I work hard as hell every day trying to make sure that I will be better when it comes out of this.”

Parsons said his mornings are filled with rehab and his afternoons are filled with football as he stands alongside position coach DeMarcus Covington at practice to learn his roles in new coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s defense.

“I think between me, Matt and DeMarcus, I think our goal is just for me to get healthy,” Parsons said. “We all have that same mindset and plan. Camp would be different but, right now, it’s just all about getting healthy.”

A couple weeks ago, Parsons hit a milestone when he started running on an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, which uses NASA-developed technology to reduce a user’s body weight.

“Doc put it the best way like this,” Parsons said. “He was like this, ‘Because of who you are, you’re going to feel good, but we’ve got to control you from feeling too good.’ So, he was like, ‘Sometimes, you’ve just got to lose the battle so you can win the war.’ So, that’s how long this process is. Every month, you’re going to get a little bit better. Every day, you’re going to get a little bit better. It’s not one of those things where I’m going to be feeling terrible for months at a time. Every day you’re going to get stronger, and you’re going to feel yourself get stronger.

“Sometimes, (you’ll think), ‘Man, I feel like I can do a little bit more than what you guys (think),’ but you’ve got to press the brake, make sure we’re not moving too fast, doing too much. Like I said, the goal for me is to complete the season, not no relapse, and playoffs and pushing towards a championship. The goal isn’t for me to go out there and re-hurt myself trying to force myself to get back the first few games. The goal has always been playoffs, and I think we’re all on the same page.”

In the process, he said Weir has become “like a wife almost” and “my best friend throughout the process” because of how often he checks in on Parsons to make sure he has every tool he needs.

“I never felt more valued in my life to an organization, in terms of making sure I’m OK mentally, not even just the injury all the time,” he said. “‘How’s your mental? How was this week? What do you have this week? Did you feel anything?’ It’s great. I think this offseason, and that goes along with Matt, too, DeMarcus, I gained friends, brothers. Just all of the above. I really appreciate that.”

For Parsons, all of the work is pointed toward getting back on the field – whenever that happens. Thinking about running onto the field with his teammates has helped him get through the challenges.

“That’s what good friends are for,” he said. “They get you out of that funk. Barryn (Sorrell) and Collin (Oliver) and even just being here with D-Wy (Devonte Wyatt), we’ve talked about all of us being back together on the field again.

“That’s like the beauty part, finally getting through those dark-tunnel stages and being back on the field and they’re all talking about throwing up the ‘1’ and how we all going to do it together and that emotional moment. So, that’s like the magic. That’s what I look at when I’m working out, like how can I get back with my friends and my brothers and just all that. So, there is that beautiful side of that.”

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