The Green Bay Packers could have their most disruptive defensive player back in time for a highly anticipated game.
There’s optimism that Micah Parsons can make his season debut in Week 6 against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.
Pelissero added that Parsons could “potentially” return one week earlier against the Chicago Bears.
That would put Parsons on the field at the front end of his previously discussed return window following reconstructive knee surgery. Plus, it would create compelling choices for comebacks with an NFC North matchup against Chicago on Oct. 11 or a prime-time reunion with Dallas on Oct. 18.
Either scenario would represent significant progress for the Packers’ $188 million edge rusher, whose recovery has stretched through the offseason and will keep him sidelined for the opening month of the season.
Parsons Could Return as Soon as Week 5
The Packers placed Parsons on the reserve/physically unable to perform list when setting their initial 53-man roster, requiring him to miss at least the first four games.
So, the Bears matchup is his first opportunity to return.
Parsons underwent surgery on Dec. 29 after suffering a major knee injury late last season. The procedure included an ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair, producing a longer rehabilitation process than a straightforward ACL recovery.
He acknowledged in August that the Week 6 game against Dallas was a realistic target.
“Yeah, I think it’s very realistic,” Parsons told Packers.com. “Me and the staff, we’ve got to put the work in.”
Parsons also explained that protecting the repaired meniscus required him to spend seven weeks on crutches, altering the pace of his rehabilitation.
The latest update points toward that work paying off. Green Bay’s schedule has the Bears visiting Lambeau Field in Week 5 before the Cowboys arrive seven days later for “Sunday Night Football.”
A Week 5 appearance would give Parsons a chance to knock off some rust before seeing Dallas. Waiting another week would place his first game since the injury directly against the organization that traded him to Green Bay.
Cowboys Matchup Looms as Natural Target for Parsons
There will be no shortage of attention if Parsons’ comeback happens against the Cowboys.
Dallas dealt Parsons to Green Bay before the 2025 season in exchange for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Parsons then signed a four-year, $188 million contract with $136 million guaranteed.
His first season with the Packers reinforced why they were willing to make such an enormous investment. Parsons became the first player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons, via Packers.com.
His absence was also felt promptly after the knee injury, as Green Bay failed to win another game after Parsons went down, a slide that went through the end of the season.
Parsons has spent the months since focused on returning as the same difference-maker.
“The anger, the frustration, the things that I’m going to have to let out because of how long it’s been since I played … that’s what people should really worry about,” Parsons said in August.
The Packers still have several weeks before they have to make that call. But Tuesday’s update gives them grounds to believe the wait may end as early as Week 5 — with Parsons’ Dallas reunion waiting shortly afterward.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Eyes Potential Return Before Cowboys Reunion