Micah Parsons will not be there for Green Bay's opener. The Packers placed their star pass rusher on the Reserve/physically unable to perform list Sunday, officially ruling him out for at least the first four games of the 2026 season as he continues recovering from the torn ACL and meniscus procedure he underwent in December after going down against the Broncos in Week 15 of his first year in Green Bay.
The most optimistic return date Parsons has given publicly is Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, the team that traded him to the Packers before last season.
He has not minced words about what he plans to do when healthy. "People should focus less on my knee and more on the anger and frustration I plan to unleash on the field," he told reporters, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Parsons recorded 12.5 sacks in 14 games before the injury, another First-Team All-Pro performance, and the Packers leaned on him heavily as the fulcrum of their pass rush.
With him out, Lukas Van Ness takes on the largest role early in the season. The rule change this year allows Parsons to begin practicing as early as Week 3 without counting against the roster.
He can begin practicing. He cannot play. The anger gets to wait until at least Week 5.