Schedule leaks are hitting social media thick and fast, and the latest could impact Micah Parsons and how the Green Bay Packers navigate the opening month without him.
According to the NFL Nerd account on X, which does a fantastic job of piecing together the schedule before the official announcement, the Packers will visit the New York Jets in Week 2. Nothing is official yet, but it's likely an accurate rumor.
Parsons is in a race against time in his recovery from a torn ACL. The Packers' season opener will land almost exactly nine months after the injury, which is about the earliest a player can typically return from an ACL tear.
There's a good chance Parsons will begin the season on the PUP list, costing him at least four games. The last thing the Packers need is a brutal schedule in the first month when they could miss their all-world pass-rusher. Getting the Jets in Week 2? We'll take that.
Packers could get a favorable Week 2 matchup during Micah Parsons' absence
It's always concerning when your team has to play on the dreaded MetLife Field turf. Keeping Parsons away from that might be a blessing in disguise. From the Packers' perspective, they also get a favorable matchup that looks highly winnable even without their best defender.
Of course, Packers fans know not to take any game for granted. Matt LaFleur's Packers love nothing more than playing down to their opponent and making it far more challenging than it needs to be. But the Jets are a rebuilding team and will likely be in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, where they could target their next franchise quarterback.
Geno Smith is back in New York, but there will be no Sauce Gardner or Quinnen Williams, who the Jets traded away before last year's deadline. Those two gave the Packers nightmares at Lambeau four years ago.
Any given Sunday, of course. Green Bay isn't guaranteed a win. But even in the worst-case scenario, losing to an AFC opponent is far less damaging than a divisional matchup or a showdown with an NFC playoff contender.
The Packers will want to be at full strength when they take on their biggest rivals, including a Thanksgiving Eve showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. Parsons should be at 100 percent and back at his best by then.
We still don't know many games on the Packers' 2026 schedule yet, and the Week 2 matchup isn't confirmed at the time of writing. But getting the Jets in September would be a favorable scenario, especially with Parsons likely out.
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