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: Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 a.m. CT
Micah Parsons recovery snapshot
- Status: Reserve/PUP list
- Projected return: Weeks 9-12
- Time since injury: 9 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, pushing 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 |
|---|---|
5 | 0% |
6 | <1% |
7 | 15% |
8 | 35% |
9 | 70% |
10 | 90% |
11 | BYE |
12 | 99% |
Latest updates
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
Sunday, August 30: Packers place Micah Parsons on the Reserve/PUP list
As expected, the Packers will place Parsons on the Reserve/PUP list, which means he'll miss at least four games. It was an inevitable move, as he likely won't return until at least October.
In the meantime, it means Parsons won't take a spot on the 53-man roster, creating an additional spot to use elsewhere. After the four games are up, the Packers will be able to activate Parsons at any time.
Tuesday, August 4: Micah Parsons says a Week 6 return is 'very realistic'
Speaking to reporters on August 4, Parsons said he believes he could return in Week 6 for a showdown with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
"I think it's very realistic. Me and the staff, we've got to put the work in," Parsons said, via The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. "We've got to do our part to make it possible. It's not off the board, but we've got to put the work in."
That game will be 293 days post-surgery, which is nine months and 19 days. Considering Parsons isn't expected to resume football activities until the nine-month mark, that would give him fewer than three weeks to get up to speed.
It still feels like an ambitious target, but if anyone can do it, it's Parsons.
Wednesday, July 29: Brian Gutekunst says it's 'unlikely' Parsons will come off PUP list during camp
Parsons is still two months away from the important nine-month mark post-surgery. As expected, general manager Brian Gutekunst said they would never shut the door on Parsons coming off the PUP list during training camp, but it's not likely.
"That would be unlikely just from a timing perspective. We've invested a lot in him, so we want to make sure he's ready to go before we even think about putting him out there," Gutekunst said.
Tuesday, July 28: Micah Parsons to begin training camp on the PUP list
Despite some initial confusion, Parsons will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
The Packers can remove him from the list at any time, although he is still expected to be around two months away from returning to football activities. Parsons is almost seven months post-surgery, so he still has a ways to go before being cleared to practice.
On July 28, The Athletic's Matt Schneidman told The Pat McAfee Show that Parsons could start practicing by September 30 and, after a "couple weeks to get ramped up," could return in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys. That still feels more like a best-case scenario at this stage rather than the expectation.
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 4, 2026: Parsons said a return in Week 6 is "very realistic"
- August 10, 2026: Parsons named Week 6 as the "most optimistic" return date in an interview with NFL Network
- 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 around 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 |
|---|---|
5 | 286 |
6 | 293 |
7 | 300 |
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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