Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shared an update on Micah Parsons.
The Green Bay Packers made a splash move ahead of the 2025 season, acquiring superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks.
The Packers then inked him to a four-year $188 million extension, tying him to the franchise through the 2029 season.
The deal elevated Green Bay to being true Super Bowl contenders, but when Parsons went down against the Denver Broncos, their season went downhill.
The Packers have lost three straight games, but will still be a playoff team as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, Parsons has begun his recovery after undergoing surgery on his torn ACL.
"Sounds like everything went well," head coach Matt LaFleur said about Parsons' surgery. "He's ahead of schedule already."
This is positive news for the Packers, as they will hope to get him back early in the 2026 season. In 14 games in his first season as a Packer, Parsons had 41 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss.
Beyond the numbers, the 26-year-old was taking on double-teams and still getting pressure on the quarterback, while opening up one-on-one opportunities for their other pass rushers.
It was a dominant season, and Parsons likely would've finished second behind Myles Garrett for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Without Parsons, the Packers have struggled to get pressure on the quarterback. Green Bay's defense has also had a tougher time stopping the run since Parsons went down.
The Packers will still make the playoffs and will face the Chicago Bears or the Philadelphia Eagles, depending on the results of Week 18. Both teams will pose a challenge, and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will need to be creative with his scheme to make up for the absence of their star pass rusher.
It will be difficult for Green Bay to make a deep run with all of the injuries they have suffered. However, they will still try to make a run and get even better when Parsons and others return to the field for the Packers in the 2026 season.