The Green Bay Packers had their fears confirmed on Monday as tests revealed that Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The news is devastating for the Packers, whose defense was transformed into an elite unit with the addition of Parsons shortly before the start of the season, and brings many questions as they enter their final three games of the regular season.
While the news is far from ideal, it may not be all doom and gloom when looking ahead to 2026. Assuming there was no additional structural damage in Parsons’ knee, and none has been reported so far post-MRI, the star pass-rusher faces a less complicated path to recovery. That could help him return on the shorter side of the typical eight-to-12-month timeline.
In fact, recent precedent with that exact scenario provides a silver lining to a bad situation and could give Green Bay some hope in the aftermath of Parsons’s injury.
Micah Parsons’s ACL Injury Might Not Derail the 2026 Packers After All
One year ago, Christian Watson was in a similar situation after tearing his ACL in the 2024 season finale against the Chicago Bears, and he began the season on the physically unable to perform list. But after returning in mid-October, Watson has played in eight games, becoming Green Bay’s top target on offense and giving them an explosive element they’ve been lacking.
Additionally, the Packers can look within their division for optimism. Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered a torn ACL last December and was able to return in October after missing the first six games. While McNeill needed a few games to return to form, he still made an impact throughout the year, which is something the Packers would gladly take considering Monday’s news.
The Packers would love to have Parsons available for the start of next season, and the front end of the timeline makes that a possibility. But even if he doesn't, a 10-month timeframe has him making a return in mid-October, and an 11-month recovery has him back in November.
It also means that finding a stopgap for Parsons may not be as important this offseason. If Parsons makes a speedy return, the Packers can lean on Kingsley Enagbare, Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, and Collin Oliver to cover for him early. That group could be even deeper if the Packers don’t trade or release Rashan Gary, whose performance has been diminishing in recent weeks; however, he will need to be on top of his game in Parsons’s absence.
Even if Parsons is on the back end of the estimation, this is good news for the Packers. The loss of Parsons still stings and could turn a championship-caliber team into one that comes up short in the playoffs. But if he can return quickly, the Packers won’t miss a beat and could push for another title when the 2026 season rolls around.