As expected, the Green Bay Packers kicked off the season without their best player. Micah Parsons will miss the first five games at least, with an optimistic return date set for Week 5. Of course, that poses a major challenge to Jonathan Gannon's defense.
While there's no such thing as replacing Parsons, fellow pass rusher Lukas Van Ness certainly lived up to his training camp hype in Week 1. One might say, without hyperbole, that he brought in as much heat as the former Dallas Cowboys star in the season opener.
That, however, cannot be a one-game thing. The Packers are too invested in Van Ness and will most likely extend him to lower his fifth-year cap hit, and even with Parsons back in the fold, they need him to wreak havoc every week.
Lukas Van Ness is finally looking like a star
Parsons gave Van Ness his stamp of approval as the next man up in his absence, and he even hyped him up from the bench. That certainly inspired the former first-rounder, logging four solo tackles, three pressures, two run stops, one tackle for loss, and one sack in the season opener.
Even when he didn't get to Carson Wentz or Kyler Murray, he was extremely active with his hands and showcased an array of new moves in his pass-rushing repertoire. He did have a costly offsides penalty late in the game, but again, that might've all been a product of how active and passionate he was from start to finish.
For too long, the Packers have hoped that Van Ness takes the next step. He left plenty to be desired in his first two seasons before finally taking a bit of a leap in 2025, though injuries limited him to just eight games.
Parsons is one of the most disruptive players in the game, and expecting Van Ness to replicate his production might be wishful thinking. That said, the first game of the season proved that he can at least be an elite Robin to his Batman.
Even when he returns, Parsons might not be as explosive early on, and the Packers might want to play it safely and keep him on a pitch count. That will only be the case if Van Ness shows that he can take care of business on his own while his superstar teammate takes a breather.
Contrary to what the final score might show, the Packers' defense was actually pretty good in the first game of the season. Van Ness is essentially in a contract year, and it's up to him to earn every buck that's coming his way.
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