The Green Bay Packers will want star pass rusher Micah Parsons on the field as soon as possible when he returns from a torn ACL this fall. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed this week when The Athletic’s Matthew Schneidman reported that the All-Pro disrptor is “expected to miss the first three or four games of the season” while finishing his rehab.

Schneidman also said, “You can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll be scratching and clawing to play before then,” but it benefits the Packers to use an abundance of caution. That will be tough given the current stable of pass rushers, including Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Barryn Sorrell, and Collin Oliver.

Additionally, there’s still a possibility that general manager Brian Gutekunst will want outside help, which could lead the Packers to free-agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Jadeveon Clowney Could Be Packers’ Perfect Bridge for Micah Parsons’s Rehab

A three-time Pro Bowler, Clowney would add some name recognition while Parsons is out, but he could be the depth needed to help the Packers finish what they started one year ago.

The Packers got off to a 9-3-1 start last season, but things fell apart when Parsons went down. In addition to losing their final five games, including a playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, Green Bay wasn’t able to consistently get to the quarterback with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness manning the starting roles.

The offseason has brought more challenges to the Packers’ pass rush. Gary was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after going without a tackle for loss or a sack in his final 10 games. Furthermore, Kingsley Engabare left for the New York Jets in free agency.

While the holdovers tasked to hold the fort as Parsons rehabs have shown promise, it may also make sense to add a proven veteran like Clowney to bridge the gap.

There’s Still Juice in the Tank

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Clowney has an impressive resume, collecting 66.5 sacks in 153 games (133 starts) over his 12-year career. Most importantly, the three-time Pro Bowler has shown he can still get the job done despite entering his age-33 campaign, collecting 8.5 sacks with 40 quarterback pressures in 227 pass-rushing snaps for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.

While he’s not the dominant player that Parsons is and is on the wrong side of 30, Clowney has experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes and a veteran presence in a room that could use it entering next season.

This would be a big boost to the Packers’ pass rush room until Parsons returns.

Van Ness is a solid pass-rusher but has battled injuries throughout his previous three seasons in Green Bay. While defensive coordinatorJonathan Gannon’s scheme could put him in advantageous situations, he also could be moved to a down lineman role in 3-4 looks, creating another need at edge rusher. The trio of Cox, Sorrell, and Oliver could take a step forward, but relying on them for a full month would be risky when compared to a proven commodity like Clowney.

Clowney’s $5.7 million market value projected by Spotrac wouldn’t break the bank, and he might even sign at a lower price, given that April is almost here.

The Packers could use another fast start to compete in a wide-open NFC race. Even if Clowney’s inconsistencies pop up, he’d be a perfect bridge in this situation that could help Green Bay survive Parsons’ absence, whether that’s only for a handful of games or longer.

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