Jeff Hafley predicts Micah Parsons' ACL comeback will be "epic," forecasting a potential sack record-breaking 2026 season for the Green Bay Packers' star pass-rusher.
Jeff Hafley respects Micah Parsons, and that may not be a strong enough word to explain his thoughts on the Green Bay Packers' star pass-rusher.
Everyone around Packer Nation is essentially grieving the loss of Parsons to a torn ACL for the next nine months. It's going to take him out of the rest of this 2025 season, and the beginning part of his 2026 season may be in jeopardy as well.
So yes, there's reason to feel sad if you're a fan, but the guys in that locker room and at 1265 Lombardi Ave. have to undoubtedly be feeling worse.
Just listen to how Hafley described Parsons the football player and professional on Wednesday. He said he quickly developed a great relationship with the star pass-rusher as soon as he was traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Packers.
"The amount of one-on-one time we spent talking football, just getting to know him. Just the amount of respect I have for him and how he came in and worked, and how hard he worked, and how hard he played, and how hard he does play. In the run game. In the pass game. The way he strains," Hafley said.
Green Bay's defensive coordinator said that he's sad for Parsons, but he also seems to expect that this setback is going to lead to an epic comeback for the 26 year old out of Penn State.
"Just knowing who he is, just wait until you guys see how hard he works to come back, how fast he probably comes back. If I were a betting man, I would bet that he comes back even better and probably breaks the sack record next year. So I'm going to put that on Micah and myself, and you guys can put it out there, and that's the confidence I have in him," Hafley said.
Parsons finished this 2025 season with 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, 26 quarterback hits and 12.5 sacks. He was easily on pace to break his single-season sack best of 14 (2023) and he was honestly playing the type of football that would have had him in the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year race when all is said and done.
The NFL's single-season sack record is still 22.5. It's held by Michael Strahan (Packers fans will remember that sack) and T.J. Watt (2021).
Parsons was on pace for 15 or more sacks this season, so it's a shame he won't get a chance to finish that out.
There are few things better in sports than an epic comeback, though, and Hafley clearly believes Parsons' 2026 season will be one for the ages.