The Green Bay Packers are currently trying to navigate life without Micah Parsons after the star pass rusher suffered a torn ACL a couple weeks ago. While the injury has required an “all hands on deck” approach as the Packers come down the final stretch of the season, there has been some intrigue when it comes to rookie pass rusher Collin Oliver.
A fifth-round pick in April’s draft, Oliver has flashed potential to the point where Matt LaFleur suggested he could earn snaps when his practice window to return from the physically unable to perform list was opened on Dec. 1. While Oliver was officially activated from the PUP list on Tuesday, LaFleur was quick to temper expectations as he revealed that the Oklahoma State product’s best chance to make an impact won’t come until 2026.
“Does he have promise? Absolutely, he does,” LaFleur said via SI’s Bill Huber on Tuesday. “I think just watching him practice all last week, you see why we took him. I just think he needs more reps. But in the event that we need him, early showings are promising.”
LaFleur’s comments may annoy Packers fans who want to see a player his teammates have dubbed “Baby Micah” make his debut. But it’s also the best approach for Oliver’s injury that could build a runway for his breakout next fall.
Collin Oliver’s Long 2025 Season Made His Packers Debut Complicated
Oliver’s hype has continued to build as a player that had 11.5 sacks during his freshman season at Oklahoma State but had 12 sacks in his next three seasons due to spitting time between linebacker and defensive end and a foot injury that limited him to two games in 2024. While he was able to recover from the injury to take part in last spring’s Senior Bowl, he suffered a hamstring injury at the combine and aggravated it during rookie minicamp.
It was the first of many setbacks for Oliver that kept him from participating in a full-squad practice until his practice window was opened earlier this month.
“I had a few setbacks when I first got up here,” Oliver told Huber on Tuesday. “Then, I felt great again like around training camp and before training camp had another setback. It was just along the way, just recognizing it’s not going to be a certain timetable and it’s just going to be dependent on how my body reacts with the stuff I’m doing with the training camp.”
The comments by LaFleur and Oliver reveal two problems. First, the Packers probably don’t want Oliver to suffer another setback by going full speed in a game. The second, Oliver needs to be sure of what he’s doing so he doesn’t make a crucial mistake for a team that’s going to the playoffs.
Packers Making the Right Call on Collin Oliver’s Development for 2026
With that, the Packers’ decision to activate Oliver is the best of both worlds. Oliver can practice with the team, as he would have had to remain on the PUP list for the rest of the season if he was not activated. But he can also hit the field if he learns his role quickly and or the Packers encounter another injury.
This approach also could clear an easier path for Oliver to get snaps. Rashan Gary’s disappearing act has made the possibility of cutting or trading him a reality in the coming months and another spot could open if Kingsley Enagbare departs in free agency.
It’s not the flashiest of outcomes. But it’s not like Oliver was going to be a 1-for-1 replacement for Parsons in 2025 anyway. That means the Packers are right to slow-play Oliver’s development and hope he makes enough progress to have a bigger role next season.