If you're a Green Bay Packers fan, Week 15 quickly turned into a nightmare scenario. It was far more than just a loss because the Packers lost their prized offseason addition for the season.
Yes, Micah Parsons indeed suffered a torn ACL in the loss to Denver. And now, Green Bay has to pick up the pieces and figure out how to continue on its quest for a Super Bowl without him.
It was a complete punch to the gut for Green Bay fans; some who may already be thinking the season is over. But, the good news is, Parsons has already circled a date for his return, and it's much sooner than some might have thought.
In a simple social media post accompanied by a graphic of a wounded lion, Parsons wrote:
"September!"
Wait, September?
Micah Parsons' anticipated return from his torn ACL is the optimism Packers fans need to carry forward
We have already covered just how much time Parsons is expected to miss with this injury. In the end, it makes the most sense if we anticipate him to come back on a similar timeline as when Rashan Gary suffered the same injury, which would be 289 days.
That's about nine and a half months.
Now, if Parsons comes back September 1, 2026, he would be beating that by about a month's time.
If he's ready to go by that date, next season, Parsons will have made his return in a mere 261 days. That would be less than a 9-month recovery, which sounds far too ambitious.
This type of energy, though, is exactly what the Packers need starting right now. Green Bay goes into a rematch with the Chicago Bears, in Week 16, and it's a game that very well could decide the NFC North. If Chicago wins, they'd not only maintain their lead in the division, but extend it.
The Packers go from playing the Bears to having to take on the Baltimore Ravens at home, which is not going to be an easy matchup. Lamar Jackson smells an AFC North title, so I would expect that game to be a battle.
Then, in Week 18, the Packers travel to take on the MInnesota Vikings for the season finale. Minnesota has nothing to play for but pride, at this point, which makes them even more dangerous than you'd typically expect.
Parsons' ambition and energy should be a spark that allows the Packers to move forward just a little easier, although it's far from a simple process to play without your best defensive player. Hopefully, for the sake of Packer fans, the team lays it all on the line for no. 1.