The joy and jubilation of the Micah Parsons trade quickly turned to concern after he landed on the Green Bay Packers' Week 1 injury report.
There's good and bad news for Sunday's opener against the Detroit Lions. Let's start with the good: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Parsons is expected to play in Week 1.
It's a positive update, but Rapoport warns that we shouldn't expect Parsons to feature on "a full complement of plays." That's not surprising. Not only is Parsons dealing with a back injury, but the Packers also need to ease him into action after he played zero snaps in the preseason and sat out of the Dallas Cowboys' training camp.
Micah Parsons is expected to play in Week 1, but Packers will ease him in
It's a shame the Packers begin the season with such crucial contests against the Lions and Washington Commanders. They need Parsons to contribute in both, but he may not be a full-go just yet.
Long-term, it's absolutely the smart play, of course. As Rapoport points out, the Packers are ramping up his reps.
"Parsons likely will focus on rushing the passer (as opposed to moving around the defense). There will be a ramp-up period to make sure when he does play fully and is integrated, his body is ready," Rapoport reports. "That is coming."
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Green Bay would love to win this game, especially given its importance to the NFC North standings, but that doesn't mean the team should rush Parsons into a full-time role. The Packers need him all season long.
And even a limited snap count will allow Parsons to impact the game.
When Parsons isn't out there, the Packers will need to rely on Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare to lead the pass rush. With Kenny Clark gone, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks must provide interior pressure. Green Bay could lean on undrafted rookie Nazir Stackhouse to play on early downs. He is an excellent run-stopper, which will be crucial against Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
It's overwhelmingly good news that Parsons is ready to play. He might not play a full-time role just yet, but he should make his Packers debut in Week 1.