Packers Practice Update: Big Game Looming for Player of the Month?

There is the potential of a big mismatch for Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers. Here’s the latest, fresh off the practice field on Thursday.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons rushes the passer at Pittsburgh. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On the south side of Ray Nitschke Field on Thursday, NFC Defensive Player of the Month Micah Parsons was going through drills.

About 750 miles to the southeast, the Carolina Panthers were grappling with how they’d stop him.

Three players didn’t practice for the Packers on Thursday, and it was the same group as Wednesday: defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot), receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and linebacker Nick Niemann (pectoral).

Same as yesterday, Dontayvion Wicks, Nick Niemann and Lukas Van Ness are not practicing.

Here’s some Christian Watson. pic.twitter.com/o1eeXBlvFe

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 30, 2025

Carolina, on the other hand, has significant questions about the state of its offensive line. Right guard Brady Christensen is out with a season-ending Achilles injury and center Cade Mays isn’t expected to play due to ankle and knee injuries. Plus, the status of right tackle Taylor Moton (knee) is in question, as well.

If Moton can’t start, former Packers lineman Yosh Nijman would get the call.

If there’s a team that doesn’t want to be dealing with a litany of injuries on the offensive line, it’s a team that’s about to face the Packers.

Green Bay ranks sixth in total defense, first in yards allowed per passing play and fourth in yards allowed per rushing play. The Packers are only 13th in sack percentage, though that’s because quarterbacks are in such a hurry to throw the ball.

Rashan Gary ranks fifth in the NFL with 7.5 sacks and Parsons is sixth with 6.5 sacks. Only Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson has more pressures than Parsons, according to Pro Football Focus, even though he’s chipped or double- and even triple-teamed most of the time.

“I don’t care. I know I can still beat that,” Parsons said after getting one sack at Pittsburgh. “Got to find a way to make an impact or at least just do my job. Even if I am being double-tripled, I got to keep the edge. It’s just hard. When you have a standard for yourself, that’s just not good enough. I feel like I’m letting my brothers down. I shouldn’t have gotten the game ball. I gave it away. I’m not going to say to who because I felt like he deserved it. Just wasn’t my night.”

Parsons, who’s only been in Green Bay for two months, earned the second player-of-the-month honor of his career. Highlighted by a three-sack game against the Arizona Cardinals, Parsons in October had four sacks (second-most in the NFC) and five tackles for losses (third-most in the NFC) to help the Packers be the only undefeated team this month.

“He’s been outstanding,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “All those guys are kind of feeding off one another. Certainly, he gets a lot of attention in regards to protections, and a lot of times he’s defeating a chip. Then, they might even slide to him, which opens up opportunities for everybody else.”

LaFleur went on to mention how defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington have found ways for Parsons to make an impact despite the extra attention.

“I do think Haf’s done a really good job and D.C. of trying to get creative in terms of you’ve seen him rush inside, outside,” LaFleur continued. “It does put a little bit of stress on the offense in regards to you’re not quite sure where he’s going to align.”

The Packers have 70 pressures, according to Stathead. That’s 10 per game, which ranks fourth, or a pace for 170, which would be 27 more than last season. By bringing so much pressure, Green Bay ranks fifth on third down.

Parsons’ all-around excellence is why the Packers can line him up at right end, left end, defensive tackle or middle linebacker and get results.

“But you can’t do that if you don’t have confidence in the other guys to be able to win their one-on-ones,” LaFleur said. “I think all those guys have been doing a great job – R.G. (Gary), Devonte Wyatt, K.B. (Karl Brooks), Colby (Wooden), J.J. (Kingsley Enagbare), Van Ness.

“We feel pretty confident that we’ve got a lot of good players in there that can all play off one another. I think the other thing that we’ve been doing a decent job of is, when called, our linebackers are doing a good job of rushing the quarterback, as well.”

Back to Parsons, this is his second Player of the Month Award; he won the prize in September 2023 with the Cowboys. He’s the first Packers player to win the award since safety Xavier McKinney last October.

The teams will submit Thursday’s injury reports after practice. For now, here are the reports from Wednesday.

Packers Injury Report

Did not participate: LB Nick Niemann (pectoral), DE Lukas Van Ness (foot), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf).

Limited: LG Aaron Banks (shin), RB Josh Jacobs (calf), K Brandon McManus (quad), RT Zach Tom (back), WR Christian Watson (knee), DT Devonte Wyatt (knee).

Full: None.

Panthers Injury Report

Did not participate: RG Brady Christensen (Achilles), QB Andy Dalton (right thumb), C Cade Mays (ankle/knee), RT Taylor Moton (knee), S Nick Scott (groin), OLB Princely Umanmielen (ankle), LB Trevin Wallace (shoulder).

Limited: None.

Full: DE Derrick Brown (knee), WR Jimmy Horn Jr. (shoulder), G Damien Lewis (oblique), QB Bryce Young (ankle), RG Chandler Zavala (knee).

Zavala is on injured reserve and within the 21-day return-to-play window.