The Green Bay Packers have started the 2026 season without Micah Parsons. When will he return? We've got you covered with all the latest updates right here.
While Parsons continues to make good progress from a torn ACL, it's still unclear exactly when he will return to action.
The countdown is on. We recommend bookmarking this page and checking back regularly for the latest updates on Parsons' recovery, projections on his return date, and his recovery timeline.
- Micah Parsons recovery snapshot
- Projected return date
- Latest updates
- Micah Parsons injury timeline
- Typical return time
Last updated: Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Micah Parsons recovery snapshot
- Status: Reserve/PUP list
- Projected return: Weeks 10-12
- Time since injury: 10 months, 2 weeks
Projected return date
Confidence meter
Below is a list of potential return dates and our editorial Confidence Meter estimating the likelihood of Parsons being cleared for each game. The projections are based on the latest updates on Parsons' recovery.
Parsons said he won't be cleared to practice for at least nine months post-surgery. He reportedly had surgery on December 29, which pushed the earliest possible return to late September. However, it could take several weeks after that before we see him in the regular season.
Week | Return confidence |
|---|---|
8 | 0% |
9 | 5% |
10 | 50% |
11 | BYE |
12 | 95% |
13 | 99% |
14 | >99% |
15 | >99% |
16 | >99% |
17 | >99% |
18 | >99% |
Latest updates
Tuesday, October 27: Matt LaFleur hints that Micah Parsons could practice in Week 9
The Packers won't have a full week of practice before their Thursday Night Football game in Week 8, which rules out opening Parsons' 21-day return window before then. However, Matt LaFleur hinted that Parsons could return to practice in Week 9.
"I sure hope so," LaFleur said about Parsons' chances of practicing next week. "I'm saying there's a chance."
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added: "If all goes well, Parsons should make his long-awaited return to the field."
If Parsons returns to the practice field next week, it will officially start the clock on his return. The Packers would have 21 days to either activate him to the 53-man roster or place him on season-ending injured reserve. Presumably, they plan to time this so that he's ready to play when they activate him.
Parsons almost certainly won't play in Week 9, and Week 10 might still be too soon. The Packers have their bye in Week 11 before visiting the Los Angeles Rams on November 25 – that could be the date to circle.
Wednesday, October 14: Micah Parsons provides an update on his status
This week's game against the Dallas Cowboys was initially viewed as a potential return date for Parsons (although that always felt like wishful thinking), but he still hasn't returned to practice. As expected, the Packers are taking a cautious approach to ensure he's at 100 percent when he does return.
Parsons opened up about his status on his podcast, The Edge with Micah Parsons, this week.
"If the Super Bowl was this week, I'm playing in the Super Bowl," said Parsons. "But it's just about me making sure I have all the small things fixed first. What a lot of people don't figure out is it's not just the ACL. It's like, why did the ACL happen? What was weak? Because it all works together, it's a chain. And throughout the history of ACL, they notice if you come back early, there tends to be an overcompensation injury on the other side."
It's absolutely the right call, and it likely means we won't see Parsons until some time in November. The Packers haven't opened his 21-day window yet, which they'll need to do once he returns to the practice field. Parsons will likely need, at minimum, two weeks of ramp-up time, and potentially the full three weeks before he is activated to the 53-man roster.
Saturday, October 3: Micah Parsons might not return until November
According to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer, Parsons is "likely still several weeks away" and may not return until November.
This all but ends any hope for a Week 6 return, but as you can tell by the Confidence Meter above, that always felt like wishful thinking for Parsons. Week 9 now feels like a realistic target. The Packers play the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football in Week 8, which is October 30. Their next game would be on November 8 against the New England Patriots.
Monday, September 28: Matt LaFleur confirms Micah Parsons won't practice this week
Although Parsons must miss at least four games on the PUP list, he was eligible to start practicing with the team after two games.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Matt LaFleur said Parsons will not practice before their Week 4 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Parsons is now nine months removed from surgery, he still hasn't been cleared to practice.
It doesn't completely rule out a Week 6 return, but that now seems less likely. Parsons will need enough ramp-up time on the practice field to feel comfortable.
Read more about Micah Parsons not being ready to practice yet and what it means
Micah Parsons injury timeline
- December 14, 2025: Parsons suffers a torn ACL in the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 15
- December 29, 2025: Parsons undergoes surgery, beginning the minimum nine-month recovery timeline
- May 28, 2026: Matt LaFleur confirms that Parsons will likely begin training camp on the PUP list
- June 3, 2026: Parsons reveals that he also had a meniscus procedure and will likely begin the regular season on the PUP list, costing him at least four games
- July 28, 2026: The Packers added Parsons to the PUP list to begin training camp
- August 30, 2026: The Packers place Parsons on the Reserve/PUP list
Typical return time
The fact that Parsons also required a procedure on his meniscus sets the absolute minimum recovery time at nine months. Once factoring in the necessary ramp-up on the practice field, Parsons likely won't return until at least 10 months post-surgery.
No two ACL injuries are the same, but players usually take somewhere between nine and 12 months to return.
It's not an exact science, but somewhere in the 300-330-day range post-surgery is a reasonable target. Christian Watson beat expectations by returning from his torn ACL only 294 days after suffering the injury, and even fewer if we start counting from his surgery (the exact date is unknown). However, Parsons also requiring a meniscus procedure tacks on some extra time.
For reference, here's a breakdown of how many days post-surgery Parsons will be for each of the Packers' games this season:
Week | Days after surgery |
|---|---|
8 | 304 |
9 | 314 |
10 | 321 |
11 | BYE |
12 | 331 |
13 | 342 |
14 | 349 |
15 | 356 |
16 | 361 |
17 | 371 |
18 | 377 |
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