AUGUST 12: During a recent interview with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales and Brian Baldinger, Parsons clarified that Week 6 would be his “most optimistic” return date at this point. Plenty of time remains for his timeline to change, but the Packers remain on course for a notable stretch to begin the season with a shorthanded defense.
AUGUST 4: It appears a foregone conclusion Micah Parsons will not be available when the Packers open their season. Suffering ACL and meniscus tears in Week 15 of last year, Parsons has long been expected to miss time to open his second Green Bay slate.
In January, Parsons said a Week 3 return was in play. This preceded a May update indicating the All-Pro pass rusher would be a PUP list candidate to start the campaign. Parsons is on Green Bay’s active/PUP list — a training camp-only designation — but had previously floated a mid-October return. He has not deviated from the latter goal yet, noting Week 6 — a Cowboys matchup — is a “very realistic” return point, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood.
“I wouldn’t say it’s not possible, but, at the same time, in these next 10 weeks — 10, 12 weeks from now on — we’ve got to do our part to make it possible,” Parsons said, via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. “It’s not off the board, but we’ve got to put the work in.”
The Packers have a nine-month return-to-practice protocol after ACL injuries; Tucker Kraft — who went down November 2 — returned to practice last week. Kraft, however, did not suffer a meniscus tear like Parsons did. With Parsons’ practice return — per this nine-month checkpoint — coming around Week 4, it appears a near-certainty the Packers will place him on the reserve/PUP list to open the season. That will shelve Parsons for four games. A Week 5 return to practice would then commence.
The 2025 trade acquisition said (via Wood) he has resumed running and is hoping to return to making cuts over the next six weeks. While numerous players have completed a return from a December ACL tear in time for Week 1, that does not appear in play for Parsons. The Packers, who traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys, will be relying on the still-unproven Lukas Van Ness to break through during Parsons’ time on the shelf.
Green Bay waited until Round 4 to make an EDGE addition this offseason (Dani Dennis-Sutton). The team, which lost Kingsley Enagbare to the Jets in free agency, also returns former UDFA Brenton Cox and 2025 fourth-rounder Barryn Sorrell at the position. Sorrell has been taking first-team reps in place of Parsons, Packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz notes.
Elsewhere on the Packers’ defense, Devonte Wyatt recently received an extension. The fifth-year defensive tackle signed a three-year, $54.9MM deal. Initially reported as a $57MM pact, Wyatt’s contract includes $22.22MM guaranteed at signing (per OverTheCap). The deal also contains key bonus dates.
Wyatt will be due $7.3MM if he is on Green Bay’s roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, and the former first-rounder will collect a $7MM bonus if on the team by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. No roster bonus is in place for 2029, which is a nonguaranteed season. The extension lowered Wyatt’s 2026 cap number by $4.5MM, Demovsky notes. It now sits at $8.44MM. Over the next three years, Wyatt is due to carry cap figures of $15.3MM, $22.8MM and $21.3MM, per OverTheCap.
One of Parsons and Van Ness’ practice foes has also made an important update. Right tackle Zach Tom has changed his name to Zach Beko-Bewele to honor his Nigerian ancestry, Demovsky adds. The Pack extended Beko-Bewele last year; he joins Wyatt in being signed through the 2029 season.
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