The Green Bay Packers went all-in to trade for Micah Parsons last offseason, but his first season in Wisconsin was cut short.
The former Dallas Cowboys star suffered a season-ending ACL injury late in the regular season, and he’s still working his way back. There was some hope that he would be on the field for Week 1, but that may no longer be the case.
According to Packers insider Rob Demovsky, Parsons all but confirmed that he’ll start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, as he still has four more months left in his recovery.
Micah Parsons will begin the season on PUP
“Five months into his ACL rehab, Micah Parsons said he has four more months to go, saying that they have a strict nine-month rule especially for players who had more than just the ACL tear, revealing that he also had a meniscus procedure,” Demovsky wrote.
The Packers gave up two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to get the disgruntled Penn State product. Given his youth and importance, there’s just no way they’ll risk him aggravating his injury by rushing him back to the field.
Even when he’s finally cleared to return, they’ll likely keep him on a strict snap count to bring him back slowly. As such, Parsons likely won’t be a full-time player for most of the season. Moreover, players aren’t usually back to their former level in the first year after an ACL injury. This is clearly far from ideal for Matt LaFleur’s team, and it will only put more pressure on new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.