Before heading into the 2025 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers sent shockwaves throughout the league, trading for superstar linebacker Micah Parsons in a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Cowboys, who didn’t see eye to eye on a long-term contract with the three-time All-Pro.
Although the trade was thought to be a move that would thrust the Packers back into the Super Bowl title-contending conversation, Parsons ended up going down with a season-ending knee injury in December in a game against the Denver Broncos.
It turned out to be a torn ACL that would sideline him for the rest of the 2025 campaign and a portion of the 2026 NFL season.
Micah Parsons ‘Slated’ to Return to Packers Practice
After a long recovery process, Parsons is gearing up for his first practice with the Packers in 2026, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With the Packers winning four out of their last five games, the storied franchise appears to be headed in the right direction, even though they are competing in arguably the toughest division in football.
Every team in the NFC North has a record of 5-3 or better, with the Packers sitting at the bottom of the division standings.
Although it will be a tough hill to climb for Green Bay to win the division and get the best of the elite teams in the NFC to compete for a Super Bowl title this season, Parsons’s nearing his return to the football field will give this team a much-needed boost with nine games left on the regular-season schedule.
The Packers are holding their own defensively as of late without Parsons, having allowed 20 or more points only three times this season, all resulting in losses to the Vikings (Week 1), Atlanta Falcons (Week 3) and Detroit Lions (Week 7).
Adding Parsons into the mix should make for a much more well-rounded football team, improving the team’s chances of being playoff-bound down the stretch in a highly competitive NFC.
Micah Parsons’ Return Target Date & Matchup
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Packers’ target return date for the superstar linebacker is Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, for the highly anticipated matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, via NFL.com.
The Packers and Parsons are targeting Green Bay’s Thanksgiving Eve showdown with the Rams as the first game the three-time All-Pro will take the field for since tearing his ACL in Week 15 of last year, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Green Bay has two games on the schedule before that showdown with the Rams, as they are set to face the New England Patriots this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Week 9, then head home to host the division rival Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in Week 10.
Two tough matchups before Week 11, which will be a much-needed bye week for Jordan Love and company.
It remains to be seen when Parsons will actually get back on the field, but clearly, things are headed in the right direction for the Packers.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Set for Key Step in Comeback