The Green Bay Packers appear increasingly likely to go without star edge rusher Micah Parsons until at least mid-November as he continues recovering from a serious knee injury.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Saturday that the earliest realistic return date for Parsons is Nov. 8 against the New England Patriots. That timeline would keep the All-Pro off the field for the first eight games of the 17-game regular season.
“The soonest Parsons appears to have a realistic chance of returning is November 8 against the Patriots,” Pelissero wrote.
A Nov. 8 debut would put Parsons right around the halfway point of the schedule. Missing the Patriots game as well would push his absence past half the season, matching earlier projections from June that he could sit out upwards of half the year following ACL surgery.
The Packers have compiled a 3-2 record through five games without Parsons. They sit second in the NFC North behind the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Green Bay’s defense has recorded 14 sacks in those five contests. Lukas Van Ness leads the team with 2.5 sacks while the unit adjusts to life without its top pass rusher.
Running back Josh Jacobs, who had also been unavailable, received positive news Friday when the NFL removed him from the commissioner’s exempt list. He is cleared to return to practice and can play when the Packers visit the Detroit Lions on Oct. 25.
Parsons tore his ACL and suffered meniscus damage on Dec. 14, 2025, in a loss to the Denver Broncos. He underwent surgery on Dec. 29 and remains on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. He is now roughly 9½ months removed from the procedure.
In 14 games last season after arriving via trade, Parsons posted 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles, 27 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection for the fifth time.
The Packers acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys in August 2025, sending defensive tackle Kenny Clark plus first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 in exchange. Green Bay then signed him to a four-year extension worth approximately $188 million.
Green Bay faces a challenging stretch before the Nov. 8 window, starting with a Sunday night matchup against the Cowboys. The schedule also includes a trip to Detroit and a Thursday night home game against the Carolina Panthers.
If Parsons returns for the Patriots, he would be available for later matchups against the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears and Houston Texans.
His presence has been viewed as a potential difference-maker for a Packers team looking to contend in the second half of the season after a solid start without him.
