The Green Bay Packers have been waiting patiently for the return of pass-rusher Micah Parsons, and the firmest timeline to date emerged over the weekend.
According to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer and Netflix Sports, the team expects to get Parsons back at some point in November, with his debut “most likely” coming on Thanksgiving.
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“Packers star Micah Parsons is expected to return to practice next week and make his 2026 debut in November, with the most likely return date coming Thanksgiving Eve against the [Los Angeles] Rams,” Pelissero wrote on Saturday, October 31.
Green Bay plays at the New England Patriots on November 8 and at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings on November 15 before a 10-day break prior to the Packers’ primetime holiday showcase on Netflix.
Parsons has been out since Week 15 of last season with a torn ACL and other knee damage. Green Bay is 5-3 without him and on a mini-bye after defeating the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field on “Thursday Night Football” two days ago.
Micah Parsons Will Return Considerably Later Than Early Projections Suggested
If Parsons returns on Thanksgiving, he will do so after more than 11 months on the sideline.
In most of the history of professional sports, that is a more than reasonable timeline for someone to return from an injury as devastating as a torn ACL, particularly when said player relies on explosiveness and athleticism as much as Parsons does. But in the modern NFL, it is on the longer side.
There is also the recovery path of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to consider. Mahomes tore his ACL on the exact same day as Parsons, yet he was starting under center for Kansas City in Week 1.
Meanwhile, Parsons will miss 10 contests this year if he doesn’t come back to the field before Thanksgiving.
Micah Parsons Underwent Full Meniscus Repair Along With ACL Surgery, Which Impacted His Timeline
Rob Demovsky of ESPN recently explored why Parsons has taken so much longer to get right than Mahomes.
“Parsons was never going to be ready for Week 1, even if he had undergone surgery the day after his injury like Mahomes did,” Demovsky wrote October 29. “Not only did Parsons wait two weeks for his surgery, but the Packers almost never put a player recovering from a torn ACL on the practice field until nine months after the date of surgery.”
Still, optimistic summer projections had Parsons coming back sometime between Weeks 4-6. But as time passed, the dates grew later and later.
“Parsons revealed in the spring that he also tore the meniscus in his knee,” Demovsky continued. “At the time, it was unclear whether his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, did a simple trim or a full meniscus repair, but Parsons told ESPN this week that it was the latter.”
Demovsky explained that the full repair rendered Parsons unable to walk absent assistance for eight weeks after the operation, which pushed his timeline back further than a trim might have. He added that sources close to Parsons have said a November return was always the most likely for five-time Pro Bowler. And now, it appears that is when Parsons will finally get back.
Packers Get Exciting Micah Parsons News Amid Ongoing Injury