In the middle of a football season, a team that once paid dearly for a star defender now waits on a single careful word from its coach. Micah Parsons, a pass rusher whose knee was torn last December, remains on the list that keeps him away from practice, and Green Bay, 4-3 and last in a division where every rival is above .500, is hoping that the slow return of one player can change the shape of its year. It is the familiar human pattern of patience measured against a deadline, with the outcome still unwritten.
Packers Coach Says Micah Parsons Could Return to Practice Next Week as Green Bay Chases NFC North Playoff Hopes
"I'm saying there's a chance."
Mark
Why does a coach saying "there's a chance" make news?
Mimi
Because Parsons has been out since tearing his ACL last December, and this is the first concrete sign of a timeline. Practice is the next step after the PUP list.
Mark
What did he do before the injury that makes him so valuable?
Mimi
In 14 games he had 12.5 sacks and 41 tackles, finished third for Defensive Player of the Year, and made the Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team.
Luke
Let's be careful, though. LaFleur only said there's a chance. That's not a commitment.
Mimi
Fair. The report doesn't give a firm date, and it only says practice, not a game.
Mark
And the standings? Why do they raise the stakes?
Mimi
Green Bay is 4-3 but last in the NFC North. Minnesota is 6-0, Chicago 5-2, Detroit 4-2.
Luke
The claim that his return could significantly boost their playoff hopes is the reporting's assessment. It isn't proven, and we don't know how his knee will respond or how quickly he'll be at full strength.
Mark
Does he play Thursday?
Mimi
No. The Packers face Carolina without him.
Luke
And nothing in the report says when he might actually play a game.
El Pulso
- Coach Matt LaFleur offered only a guarded 'there's a chance' that Parsons could begin practicing next week, leaving the locker room to read hope into uncertainty.
- Green Bay sits last in the NFC North at 4-3 while Minnesota leads at 6-0, so every missing piece feels like a loss in a crowded race.
- Parsons remains on the reserve/PUP list after a torn ACL, unable to practice or play until the team activates him, and the Packers' pass rush has felt the absence all year.
- He will sit out Thursday's game against Carolina, so the real signal arrives in next week's practice reports, which will show whether his return is genuinely beginning.
In the middle of a football season, a team that once paid dearly for a star defender now waits on a single careful word from its coach. Micah Parsons, a pass rusher whose knee was torn last December, remains on the list that keeps him away from practice, and Green Bay, 4-3 and last in a division where every rival is above .500, is hoping that the slow return of one player can change the shape of its year. It is the familiar human pattern of patience measured against a deadline, with the outcome still unwritten.
On Tuesday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur was asked whether Micah Parsons might start practicing next week. His answer was careful: "I'm saying there's a chance." Even so, it was the most encouraging word yet on the star pass rusher's recovery from a torn ACL.
Parsons tore the ligament last December, a blow that hurt Green Bay's playoff hopes at the end of last season and has dulled its pass rush this year. He opened the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and remains there, unable to practice or play until the team activates him. A return to the practice field is therefore the next milestone to watch.
The Packers paid heavily for him, trading defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to Dallas before last season. In 14 games he recorded 12.5 sacks and 41 tackles, and he still earned third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, a Pro Bowl nod and a first-team All-Pro spot.
Green Bay's need is plain in the standings. At 4-3 the Packers would look comfortable in many divisions, but in the NFC North they sit last, behind Minnesota at 6-0, Chicago at 5-2 and Detroit at 4-2. A returning All-Pro pass rusher could matter a great deal.
Nothing changes immediately. Parsons will not play Thursday night against Carolina, which is 3-3. The question now is what next week's practice reports reveal about how far his return has come.
On Tuesday, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked whether Micah Parsons might start practicing next week. His answer was careful: "I'm saying there's a chance." It was the most encouraging word yet on the star pass rusher's recovery from a torn ACL.
Parsons tore the ligament last December. The injury hurt the Packers' playoff hopes at the end of last season, and it has blunted their pass rush this year. He opened the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, and he remains there. Being on that list means he cannot practice or play until the team activates him for practice, which is why a return to the practice field is the next milestone to watch.
The Packers paid heavily to get him. Before last season, they acquired the 27-year-old from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. By the numbers, Parsons gave them a reason to feel the price was justified. In 14 games he recorded 12.5 sacks and 41 tackles.
Missing three games did not keep him from major recognition. He finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the Pro Bowl and earned a spot on the All-Pro first team. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his five NFL seasons.
Green Bay's need for him is plain in the standings. The Packers are 4-3, a record that would look comfortable in many divisions. In the NFC North, it leaves them last, and every team in the division is above .500. The Minnesota Vikings lead at 6-0, the Chicago Bears are 5-2, and the Detroit Lions are 4-2.
That puts the Packers in a division where little room for error remains, and where a returning All-Pro pass rusher could matter. The report describes his return as something that could significantly bolster their playoff chances.
Nothing changes immediately. Parsons will not play Thursday night when Green Bay faces the Carolina Panthers, who are 3-3. The thing to watch is next week's practice reports: whether he is on the field at all, and how the team handles the first steps of his return.
Citas Notables
I'm saying there's a chance.— Matt LaFleur, Packers head coach
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