The Green Bay Packers probably won’t have Micah Parsons for the first month of the upcoming season, which has created a significant need for a veteran pass-rusher in what remains of free agency.
Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15 last season and has been rehabilitating ever since with the hopes of returning in time for Green Bay’s Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on September 13. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that he is unlikely to meet that goal based on all currently available information.
“He’ll be a candidate to be placed on the physically unable to perform list,” Schefter said. “It certainly feels like the tone has been — and the expectation has been — that Parsons will miss some time to start the season.”
Given that, and the lack of depth at the position following the trade of Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick this offseason, a seasoned pass-rusher is perhaps the greatest need and wisest investment the Packers can make over the summer.
One of the top available options in three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who put up 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in Dallas in 2025 and remains a free agent as of mid-May.
Jadeveon Clowney Among Handful of Free-Agent Options for Packers This Summer
GettyFormer Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
A former No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans in 2014, Clowney has been a mercenary NFL edge-rusher for a number of years.
While Clowney has never tallied double-digit sacks in any single year of his career, he has a total of 120 tackles for loss and 66.5 sacks to his credit over his 12 seasons in the league. Clowney will play the upcoming campaign at 33 years old.
Spotrac projects his market value at $5.7 million in 2026, while the Packers currently have approximately $17.6 million in salary cap space as of Sunday.
If Green Bay decides not to go with Clowney, other options still available in free agency include Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan.
Lukas Van Ness Hasn’t Proven Capable of Being Lead Pass-Rusher During First 3 Years of NFL Career
GettyPass-rusher Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers.
If Parsons is unavailable to begin the season, the team’s top pass-rusher will be Lukas Van Ness. The former first-round pick has been a reasonable contributor over his three years in the league, though he has not had a lot of success as a traditional edge-rusher.
“[Van Ness has] only combined for 8.5 sacks in his three seasons with the Packers,” Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron wrote on May 7. “They drafted Dani Dennis-Sutton in Round 4, but he’s a raw technician who should be strictly in backup territory as a rookie.”
“Van Ness was sort of a secondary, tertiary piece last year,” Bill Barnwell of ESPN said on Mina Kimes’ show May 6. “I liked it actually most when they were using him inside on passing downs, and he was rushing against the interior. And now he has to be a dude on the outside. He’s not really been that player.”
Micah Parsons Update Creates Desperate Need for Packers to Ink 3-Time Pro Bowl Pass-Rusher