Packers defensive end Micah Parsons isn’t willing to pinpoint a date for his return to game action, but it is on everyone’s mind now that he is back on the practice field.
Parsons did individual work in his practice return on Wednesday and said that expects to do even more during next week’s workouts. Recent reports have Week 12 circled as the likeliest time for Parsons to make his 2026 debut and he discussed his expectations for that moment with reporters after his first practice session.
When asked if it’s realistic for him to play at an All-Pro level right out of the gate, Parsons said that it was but added that he expects to “have terrible plays” as well due to how much rest accumulated during his recovery from last December’s torn ACL.
“Am I gonna go out there and play 50, 60 snaps, how I was doing before? Absolutely not. It’s just not realistic,” Parsons said. “My body’s not there yet. I don’t even think my knee is built for that yet. I didn’t go through a training camp. Am I going to be the All-Pro Micah, the person I once was this year? Probably not until later, after I go through all my phases and things like that. . . . I think you’ll see flashes of All-Pro Micah when I get to pass rush, and there’s going to be times when you’re going to be like, ‘Dang, what was Micah doing?’ There’s going to be times when I question myself, too. Like, what was I doing right there? I’m not ashamed of that. I’m not scared of seeing the failure of this thing because I just came back from 11-month injury. I’m not shying away from the possibility of bad plays.”
It’s an honest appraisal of what the return from a long layoff is likely to look like, but a big play or two from Parsons can help swing a game and the Packers would gladly sign up for that while waiting for the total package to come back together.
On Friday, Wisconsin authorities released documents in the Josh Jacobs criminal case that included three allegations against him from other women. On Wednesday, Jacobs spoke directly to reporters for the first time since the material became public.
“It’s one of those things for me where it’s like, it really feels like an attack on me and who I am and my character,” Jacobs said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “And at the end of the day, there’s a lot of stuff being said about me that’s completely false -- like, completely made up, and it’s like people just run with it. And I can’t change that.
“It’s just one of those things where it’s like, OK, all I can do is try to be who I am and try not to let the negative moments change who I am. And that was the biggest thing for me throughout this whole process. I didn’t want to go to a place where I felt like I was closed off and I’m angry all the time because of what’s going on in my life.”
The situation would be very different if Jacobs hadn’t pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge arising from an incident in May 2026. Admitting to an incident of violence against a woman makes it harder for him to credibly claim that three other women who contacted authorities about Jacobs doing the same thing are making it all up.
Still, Jacobs believes the newly-surfaced allegations won’t result in more missed time, following the six-game stint on paid leave arising from the most recent incident.
“With all the evidence that we have and that they have at this point, it’s not one of those things where I’m sitting back on my hands like, ‘OK, am I going to play this week?’” Jacobs said. “It’s like, I kind of already know what it is, so it’s like . . . it’s really just up to them to make their final decision. But like I’m not worried about feeling like I’m going to miss any more time than I already have.”
The league continues to investigate Jacobs, and it’s investigating the recent allegations, too. Through it all, the Packers have been linked on multiple occasions to a potential trade for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. If the Packers land Taylor, it could mean that they’ll move on from Jacobs.
Packers defensive end Micah Parsons took a big step back toward the lineup on Wednesday when he participated in practice for the first time since tearing his ACL last December.
Parsons was limited to individual work on his first day back and head coach Matt LaFleur said that the team will take it “one day at a time” as Parsons ramps back up. LaFleur added that he hopes Parsons is ready for game action sooner rather than later and reports have indicated that the team’s Week 12 Thanksgiving Eve game against the Rams is the target, but Parsons isn’t looking at a specific date at this point.
“I won’t say too much because even if I did play, I don’t want them to game plan for it,” Parsons said in a post-practice media session. “I just want it to be a surprise. I just want it to be a fulfilling moment for myself, the staff — just to enjoy that day and not put too much pressure on that day. My family even been asking me, ‘You going to play? Should we buy flights to come out there?’” . . . It is what it is. You can buy your flight and cancel last minute, that’s up to you, but I’m not going to pinpoint a day to disappoint anyone or get people expectations that I can’t meet.’ I gotta stack 20 days and hopefully on that 21st day I feel incredible.”
Parsons said he’s looking forward to upping his practice participation next week and that he understands that he needs to “get into more of a football shape” because his conditioning is not where he needs it to be. That should improve over the next couple of weeks and that should put Parsons in a good spot for the Rams game if everything continues to play out the right way.
Patriots receiver A.J. Brown will not practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike Vrabel said in his Wednesday press conference.
Brown is dealing with a knee injury and an ankle injury, with his knee reportedly keeping him sidelined right now.
Brown has been able to play just three games so far this season, catching nine passes for 101 yards. He missed four weeks with the ankle injury he suffered early in the Week 1 loss to Seattle.
Asked if Brown could go back on injured reserve, Vrabel did not give much detail on the receiver’s status.
“I can just speak on today and where he’s at today and what we feel like he can do today,” Vrabel said, via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “So, that’s why I said he wouldn’t be out there today.”
Additionally, Vrabel mentioned Christian Barmore and TreVeyon Henderson will not practice on Wednesday.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur outlined the plan for defensive end Micah Parsons’s return to practice on Wednesday.
LaFleur said that Parsons will do individual work as the team opens his 21-day window to return from the physically unable to perform list. Parsons is returning from last season’s torn ACL and LaFleur indicated that the plan is designed to ramp him up because he’s been cleared for all activities on the medical front.
I think he’s been cleared to go full-go in regards to what he’s doing out there,” LaFleur said. “How they limit him and his ability — where it’s just individual. But I expect him to go when he’s out there. He’s been cleared for that. We’ll just take it one day at a time and hopefully he’ll be ready to go sooner than later.”
Reports last weekend said that the Packers are targeting their Week 12 game against the Rams as the date for Parsons to return to game action. That game will be played on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so it would be a standalone slot for the football world to see Parsons back in the lineup for the first time in nearly a year.
