Report: Parsons unlikely to return before Week 4

This move was expected. Parsons himself said a few weeks ago that a Week 6 return was his “most optimistic” timeline. A spot on the reserve PUP list means Parsons must miss at least the first four months of the season. He is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 15 of the 2025 season. Parsons should still be a force on the defensive front when he’s back, but that won’t happen until at least October.

Interestingly, Week 6 is when the Packers play host to the Cowboys, Parsons’ former team. The star pass-rusher did note that he could also return later and that there is always the possibility of setbacks, but it sounds like the earliest we should expect to see him is Week 6. Parsons opened camp on the PUP list, which didn’t come as a surprise given the timing of his injury last season. It’s been widely believed that Parsons would miss the first few games of the season. If he were to open the year on the PUP list, he would be forced to sit out at least the first four games of the year.

Parsons is unlikely to return before Week 4, the question ahead of us appears to be if it’ll be Week 4 or Week 5. If it’s Week 5, Parsons can be stored on the reserve/PUP list ahead of the season. This timeline has been a consistent drum beat coming out of the Packers since March, so this placement comes as no surprise.

“The goal for me is to complete the season,” Parsons said Wednesday. “The goal has always been playoffs.” Parsons added that the team has a strict nine-month policy for ACL rehab for players with more than one tear and that he had an associated meniscus procedure in December. The updated timeline places Parsons back to full football activities some time in September, likely looking at October before he returns to the field for the Packers.

There’s still plenty of time for Parsons to rehab to be ready in time for Week 1, but Schefter said “the feeling within the organization has been that Parsons would miss the early part of the season” with a chance to still return fairly early on. Parsons suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of last season, which makes being ready in time for the 2026 season a tall task. The star pass rusher totaled 12.5 sacks in the 14 games he appeared in last season and was still named a First-team All-Pro in his first season with the Pack.

“They’re doing great,” Gutekunst said on an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Tuck’s been in here every day, and he’s obviously a little bit ahead of schedule, just because his injury happened earlier than Micah’s did. But Micah’s such a - he’s a little bit of a freak. So I think some of that has taken over, and he’s doing really well, as well.” He continued, “So, certainly expect both of those guys back early in the season. And they’ll be a big part of what we’re doing moving forward.” Both players are attempting to return from torn ACLs, with Kraft’s injury occurring in November and Parsons’ occurring in December of last season. It certainly sounds like both players could avoid the Physically Unable to Perform list this summer, which would give each player a good chance to make good on their general manager’s words and return early in the 2026 regular season.

Gutekunst declined to put a timeline on Parsons’ return, but he said the team is hopeful for a quick recovery for their star pass-rusher, who was injured in Week 15 last season. Injuries aside, things were going about as well as the Packers could have hoped for Parsons when they went out and traded for him last offseason. He amassed 12.5 sacks in the 14 games he appeared in while posting 41 tackles in total along with 12 TFLs. Given the timing of his injury, it wouldn’t be surprising if Parsons were sidelined at the beginning of camp and/or the regular season but it sounds like everything is moving in the right direction.

Parsons suffered a mid-December ACL tear, so this is a reasonable timeline to return. We’d be surprised if Parsons avoided the PUP list at the start of training camp, but it seems like he won’t miss too much of the 2026 season. It’s possible that the Packers add a depth piece after the draft to play next to Lukas Van Ness early in the year.

Parsons is recovering from a torn ACL. He plans to be back on the field as early as September. The 26-year-old EDGE told reporters Week 1 is his optimistic target return date, while Week 3 is the more realistic target return date. Either way, Parsons doesn’t anticipate beginning next season on injured reserve, which is a significant development for the Packers.

The worst was confirmed on Monday, as the Packers will now be without their star pass rusher for the remainder of the season. Parsons suffered a non-contact knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Broncos and remained down for several minutes before being helped off the field by trainers. Head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that things “didn’t look good,” for Parsons, with reports later coming out that the team feared a torn ACL. There isn’t much to explain here. Parsons is one of the premier pass rushers in the league. He totaled 12.5 sacks in 14 games this season while also posting 41 tackles, 12 TFLs, and forcing two fumbles. The Packers now have to find a way to get by in the regular and postseason without their best player, who has accounted for 37.9 percent of their sacks this season.