The Most Important Packers: No. 2 — Edge Micah Parsons

The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur.

Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.

Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC’s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.

“No way you should lose games in this league when you’re up that much,” running back Josh Jacobs said.

Green Bay, which began the year 9-3-1, finished the season with five straight losses. The Packers now enter 2026 with the league’s fourth-longest losing streak.

Collapsing late in games was the story of Green Bay’s 2025 campaign.

Green Bay had double digit leads in the final minutes twice against Chicago and also vs. Cleveland and somehow went 0-3 in those games. The Packers’ odds of losing all three contests were 1-in-250,000, yet they somehow did it.

“That (expletive), it’s starting to get damn-near embarrassing,” safety Javon Bullard said.

Rebounding won’t be easy as the Packers were hit hard in free agency and didn’t have a first round draft pick.

Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 29. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2026 campaign.

At No. 2 is edge rusher Micah Parsons.

No. 2

Micah Parsons, Edge

Last season

Parsons was acquired from Dallas in a blockbuster trade on Aug. 28, 2025, for two first round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Parsons then proved to be the Packers’ most dynamic defensive player since Hall of Famer Reggie White, who spent the 1993-’98 seasons in Green Bay. Parsons had 12.5 sacks through Green Bay’s first 13 games, making him the first player in NFL history to record at least a 12 sacks in each of his first five NFL seasons.

Parsons had an NFL-leading 60 pressures through 13 games, which was 10 more than any player in football. According to ESPN, that was also the most pressures by a player through 13 games since 2018.

Then Parsons tore his right ACL and suffered meniscus damage in a Week 15 loss at Denver. Without Parsons, Green Bay lost its final five games, falling from 9-3-1 to a remarkably disappointing 9-8-1.

Despite missing the final month, Parsons led the Packers with 12 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hits and 83 pressures. Parsons finished the year third in the NFL in pressures and No. 8 in quarterback hits.

Parsons also had five games with at least eight pressures.

Parsons was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl, becoming the first defensive player to achieve that since Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams did it 10 straight years.

Career to date

Parsons was just 26 when Green Bay acquired him from Dallas.

“Obviously a player like Micah, he’s very unique and (it’s) very rare … that they’re available,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the trade.

That’s for sure.

Parsons was also the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, a two-time first-team all-Pro in 2021 and 2022, and a second-team all-Pro in 2023.

Parsons and Reggie White were the only two players in NFL history with at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons.

Parsons came to Green Bay with 52.5 career sacks, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 172 tackles and nine passes defensed.

Today, Parsons has 65.0 career sacks, which is the fifth-most by a player through five seasons in league history. Only Reggie White (81.0), J.J. Watt (74.5), T.J. Watt (72.0), and Derrick Thomas (66.0) have more sacks than Parsons through their first five seasons.

Outlook

When will Parsons return?

Get ready to hear that question time and again the first portion of Green Bay’s season.

Parsons had ACL surgery, as well as a “clean up” of his meniscus on Dec. 29, 2025. Parsons said the Packers employ a strict “nine-month rule” of no football when players are coming back from ACL and meniscus injuries at the same time.

That means if everything goes perfectly, the Packers would open Parsons’ 21-day window — one that allows a player to practice without counting against the 53-man active roster — in late September or early October. Green Bay players typically use all 21 days of that window, and if Parsons does that, his first game back would be Oct. 25 at Detroit in Week 7.

“I think the goal has always just been, not right now, but longevity with my career here,” Parsons said. “And I think they want that approach.

“We have a pretty good strong nine-month rule, so it’s all about, just through the research and the data there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up. It’s just all about completing the rehab to the best of our ability and then seeing where we’re at from there.”

Green Bay was 9-3-1 when Parsons was injured last season. The Packers didn’t win another game after he went down, going 0-5 from there and finishing 9-8-1.

So it’s easy to see why the fan base will be clamoring for his return.

But Parsons is Green Bay’s best player when healthy. The Packers will be thinking about the macro, not the micro.

So Green Bay will definitely play the long game with Parsons.

“It’s about knowing when to go and it’s all about feeling great,” Parsons said. “Like I don’t think (general manager Brian Gutekunst) or (head athletic trainer) Nate (Weir) or (coach Matt (LaFleur) wants me to go out there if I’m not at 100 percent and risk re-injury and lose me for the year and it’s just a waste of a year.

“Everything is about playoffs. We got a tough schedule this year and I think for the betterment of everyone, everyone wants me at 100 (percent) and wants me in those games so we can make this championship run.”

They said it …

“It’s just all about just through the research and the data there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up. It’s just all about completing the rehab to the best of our ability and then seeing where we’re at from there.” — Parsons on a timeline for his return

“Players like Micah very rarely become available and the way he impacted our football team, you guys saw it. He’s a rare player that can do what he can do when he’s on the field and the way he affects the game and the way he affects winning. So no regrets there and certainly expect him back better than ever once he gets rolling.” — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Parsons

“Obviously Micah’s a really good player, and that’s going to be fun. If you talk about scheme, I believe in who do you have and who you’re playing, and try to align your people to affect the game in a positive way. He’s obviously a piece we’re going to be mindful of when we’re putting together the scheme, especially when you get to game planning.” — Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon on Parsons