Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons is all but guaranteed to begin the 2026 regular season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list given the return timeline he provided to reporters on Wednesday.
Parsons, who suffered a torn ACL in Denver on Dec. 14 and had surgery to repair the injury on Dec. 29, said there is a strict nine-month rule for returning from this particular injury and surgery, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Parsons also had a procedure to clean up his meniscus, adding to the recovery.
Nine months after his knee surgery would land on Sept. 29. The Packers are scheduled to play three games before that date, making it clear that starting the season on the PUP list — which requires missing the first four games — is the obvious path forward for Parsons and the Packers.
If beginning the season on the PUP list, Parsons would miss games against the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers but be eligible to return for Week 5 against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 11. The Packers play the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 18.
It’s expected Parsons won’t even start practicing until after Sept. 29, so he will need time to ramp up and get into football shape — likely pushing his return date to mid-October.
The Packers will almost certainly protect their investment in Parsons, an All-Pro caliber player who is still only 27 years old. Delaying his return might hurt the Packers early in 2026, but the goal is to have Parsons at 100 percent come crunch time, and to make sure his career — which is on a Hall of Fame track currently — continues unimpeded by the effects of the injury.
Hear more from Parsons, who said he is “extremely happy” with where he is at now five months into the rehab process:
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers’ Micah Parsons provides update on return to field timeline
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Kruse, Packers Wire | USA TODAY Network
