Former Penn State Nittany Lions star pass rusher Micah Parsons has spoken out about his ACL recovery process.
There are few players in the NFL more valuable than former Penn State star pass rusher Micah Parsons. He started off his career terrorizing opposing offenses for the Dallas Cowboys before being traded to the Green Bay Packers last offseason.
Unfortunately, after a strong start to his first season with the Packers, Parsons went down with a season-ending torn ACL. He is still currently working his way back from the injury and is expected miss at least the first five games of the season.
Parsons has been hopeful of a potential return to the field in Week 6 on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys. However, it's important to note that Week 6 would be the earliest potential return date and does not seem to be the most likely.
With that being said, Parsons recently spoke to Packers.com about the injury recovery process. He admitted that it has been hard, but he's focused on making sure that Green Bay gets what it paid for to get him.
"The people that got me here and made this place even more special … I'm just grateful we got a second opportunity," Parsons said. "And I don't want to waste it."
He also revealed the mindset that he has had to continue pushing in the rehab process.
"The only way to beat it is to work. Like, if I didn't work out every day, if I didn't try to do something to make myself better every day … if I don't come back, who am I to blame?" he said.
"The only way to eliminate that is through preparation and work, and every time I feel a little better and I'm getting stronger, I'm like, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to be back,' and that's a special kind of power right there."
Parsons also revealed the mental battle of seeing everything taken away for such a long time in just one moment.
"Going through the injury, everything taken away, getting rebooted, you're working to better yourself – mentally, emotionally, physically – in a way that can't really be described except every day I just want to be my best self," he said. "Because you can't make anybody else to be their best self unless you're your best self. Now I think my heart's in the right place, my mind's in the right place, and I can thank God for that."
Finally, Parsons admitted that he feels a "burden" to produce for the Packers. The team paid a hefty price to acquire him. Now, it's up to him to make that price worth it.
"Everything falls on me," he said. "If we don't succeed, it's my fault. If we don't win, it's my fault. If I don't perform to the ability they traded for, the player I was before I got injured, it's my fault. Everything falls on me. This is my burden."
In his first 14 games with Green Bay, Parsons racked up 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defended pass.
Penn State fans will continue rooting Parsons on at the NFL level. Hopefully, he is able to close out his recovery process strong and get back on the field early in 2026.
