The Green Bay Packers were aware that Micah Parsons probably wasn't going to be ready for the season opener while he recovers from an ACL injury he sustained last year. However, they might not have known the specific date for his return to the football field. They do now and may need to wait longer than they originally envisioned.
Parsons spoke with the local media and said that he'll begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning that he'll have to sit out at least four games. On top of that, the Pro Bowl edge rusher stated that he had his meniscus cleaned up, so his recovery may not be going nearly as well as head coach Matt LaFleur suggested when he talked to reporters.
The silver lining is that Parsons should return at some point next season, but Green Bay will miss him regardless of how long he's sidelined. That may prompt general manager Brian Gutekunst to look for external help to bolster the pass rush during his absence.
The Packers have options to bolster the pass rush during Micah Parsons' recovery
During Micah Parsons' absence, the Packers will need to lean on Brenton Cox Jr., Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Lukas Van Ness to get after the quarterback. While that's not necessarily a bad collection of pass rushers, they won't precisely keep opposing coaches awake looking for ways to stop them the night before game day. This dearth of game-altering talent may leave Brian Gutekunst with no option but to bring in reinforcements.
The issue is that Ian Rapoport of NFL Media emphatically denied that the Arizona Cardinals are considering trading Josh Sweat, who logged 12 sacks in 2025, in spite of the speculation on social media. For the sake of the argument, that's one less option Green Bay has to fortify the pass rush. The good news is that there are a couple of intriguing options that remain unsigned in the open market.
Green Bay can turn to either Jadeveon Clowney or Cameron Jordan
The Packers currently have $25 million in cap space, so they should have no trouble signing a pass rusher. A.J. Epenesa was a highly productive player in the Buffalo Bills rotation, but he's dealt with injuries and may not be at full strength. That leaves Cameron Jordan and Jadeveon Clowney as the best options available.
Jordan will be 37 come Week 1 but just registered 10.5 sacks with the New Orleans Saints last year. He could still wreak havoc as part of the rotation. That said, he may not come cheap. One of the reasons the 2011 first-round pick didn't return to The Big Easy was that his asking price may have exceeded their spending budget. Maybe his demands have gone down, and if that's the case, Green Bay shouldn't hesitate to target him.
On the other hand, Clowney had a somewhat nomadic career after playing for the Houston Texans and the Seattle Seahawks. Nevertheless, he remains productive. The South Carolina Gamecock is a stud against the run and recorded eight sacks for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. Like Jordan, he won't necessarily be cheap but would fill a huge roster void.
The bottom line is that the Packers still have time to add a pass rusher to round out what's otherwise a pretty good defense.
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