The Green Bay Packers technically had the option to take a significant step toward getting Micah Parsons back this week.
They haven’t taken it.
Parsons remains on the physically unable to perform list as Green Bay prepares to host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. More importantly, he was not added to the Packers’ Week 3 injury report, an indication that the team has yet to open his return-to-practice window.
The same is true for tight end Luke Musgrave and defensive lineman Jordon Riley, Green Bay’s other two players on the PUP list.
“Worth noting – none of the 3 players on PUP have been added to the injury report, which means they have not opened their ‘return to practice’ windows. Micah Parsons was the most-talked about of the group as potentially returning after week 2, but so far it’s a no-go,” Packers cap analyst Ken Ingalls wrote Tuesday.
There is an important distinction between Parsons returning to practice and returning to a game.
What Micah Parsons’ Absence From Injury Report Means
The NFL changed its PUP rules for 2026, allowing players on reserve/PUP to begin a 21-day practice window after their team’s second regular-season game.
That means Parsons became eligible to practice after Sunday’s 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets.
He still isn’t eligible to play.
Players placed on reserve/PUP must miss at least the first four games of the season, meaning Parsons was already ruled out for both Thursday’s matchup with Atlanta and Green Bay’s Week 4 game regardless of whether he practiced this week.
Once the Packers designate Parsons to return, however, a 21-day clock begins. Green Bay would then have that period to activate him to the 53-man roster.
The Packers apparently aren’t ready to start it.
Head coach Matt LaFleur hinted at that possibility last week when asked when Parsons could return to practice.
“I haven’t even asked about that,” LaFleur said, per The Leap’s Jason B. Hirschhorn. “Probably a couple weeks.”
That timeline also fits what Parsons has said about his recovery.
Parsons tore his ACL in December and later revealed he also underwent a meniscus procedure. The Packers have been following a nine-month recovery guideline because of the additional damage to his knee.
“We have a pretty strong nine-month rule,” Parsons said earlier this month.
Packers’ Short Week Could Explain Parsons Decision
Green Bay’s schedule makes waiting another few days even more understandable.
The Packers played an overtime game against the Jets on Sunday and host Atlanta only four days later. They didn’t hold a full practice Monday, with their first injury report based on estimated participation.
That leaves very little meaningful practice time for Parsons before Thursday.
Opening his 21-day window now would start the clock during a week in which he would get limited full-speed work and still wouldn’t be eligible to play against Atlanta.
The Packers will have considerably more time after Thursday night’s game before returning to action.
That could give Green Bay a better opportunity to open Parsons’ window and begin a legitimate ramp-up instead of using several days of it during a shortened practice week.
The Packers have not publicly said the short week is the reason for waiting, so that remains a logical explanation rather than a confirmed one.
What is clear is that Parsons isn’t coming back against Atlanta.
He was never eligible to play Thursday under the PUP rules.
The more meaningful development is that Green Bay could have started getting him back onto the practice field this week and, at least so far, has chosen not to.
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