Not only did the Green Bay Packers fall from the No. 2 seed in the NFC to the No. 7 seed after a loss against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, but they may have lost superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons for an extended period of time.
Parsons went down with a non-contact knee injury and was immediately removed from the game. While he will undergo some tests, all signs point to the possibility that Parsons suffered a torn ACL that will end his 2025 season right before the playoffs.
While Packers fans may have hoped that head coach Matt LaFleur could have provided some degree of levity, the latest update from Green Bay's head honcho makes it seem like he is also fearing the worst as it pertains to Parsons' injury.
LaFleur said the injury "doesn't look good" and that he wouldn't elaborate further on what could happen with Parsons. Not only will the $48 million man be out for the rest of this season if the tear is confirmed, but he will likely miss some time in 2026 as he recovers.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur provides tough injury update on Micah Parsons
Parsons was every bit as good as advertised in his first season with Green Bay, as the former Dallas Cowboys star put together another All-Pro worthy season by compiling 12.5 sacks. Parsons has now recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons in the NFL.
For a Packers team that has been very up-and-down on the defensive end this season, this loss is so destabilizing that until they can prove themselves, it might be a very prudent move to completely kick them out of the hypothetical Super Bowl contender tier.
Rashan Gary is a fine player, but he can't be the No. 1 pass rusher on a team that has title aspirations unless he goes wild in the final few games. With the depth behind Gary already questionable before the injury, Parsons missing time would severely test the quality of Brian Gutekunst's roster construction.
Losing Parsons would be just about the worst case scenario for this team, and it appears as though that nightmare is quickly becoming reality. If this is indeed the end of Parsons' 2025 campaign, which came in a way that opens up questions for 2026, at least he provided fans with one heck of a debut season in Packers colors.