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Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Before he left somewhat unexpectedly this offseason for the head coaching position with the Miami Dolphins, former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley offered a message on injured pass-rusher Micah Parsons that continues to echo as his ACL rehabilitation progresses.
“Just knowing who he is, just wait until you guys see how hard he works to come back, how fast he probably comes back,” Hafley told reporters on December 17. “If I were a betting man, I would bet that he comes back even better and probably breaks the sack record next year.”
Parsons released a video of his rehab progress on Instagram Thursday, February 19, which Matt Schneidman of The Athletic shared on X.
Micah Parsons’ ACL rehab coming along, via his IG⬇️
“No guro but standard still the sam @lance717,” Parsons captioned the reel on his IG story.
Micah Parsons Had Elite Season Before ACL Injury
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge-rusher Micah Parsons.
Parsons tore the ligament during a Week 15 road matchup against the Denver Broncos. It is the first overtly serious injury of his career after the outside linebacker missed four games in 2024 and one contest during his rookie campaign in 2021.
Despite appearing just 14 times last season, Parsons still finished with 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, per Pro Football Reference. He produced 79 pressures, 51 quarterback hurries, 14 QB hits and two forced fumbles, according to Pro Football Focus, which credited him for 14 sacks compared to PFR’s tally of 12.5.
PFF ranked Parsons as the third-best edge defender in the league last year out of 115 players at the position who saw enough snaps to qualify. He earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod in five professional seasons, as well as All-Pro honors for the fourth time (three first-team, one second-team).
Parsons also finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, the fourth time he’s been in the top three in that category across his five-year career (second-place twice, third-place twice).
Micah Parsons Could Be Back Healthy for Packers by Week 1
GettyGreen Bay Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons.
Given Parsons’ success and the Packers’ undeniable reliance on his ability to create pressure and blow up drives, Green Bay appears the early winner of last August’s trade with the Dallas Cowboys that sent two first-round picks (2026, 2027) to Dallas along with defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Parsons also inked a record-setting deal with the Packers worth $186 million over four years that kicks in next season and keeps him under contract through 2029.
Thus, while the injury remains concerning, Parsons is still just 26 years old and will play the upcoming campaign at the age of 27. The ACL tear was clean, which should afford Parsons a strong chance to return to the field for Week 1 of next season.
It is also worth mentioning that medical/training/rehabilitation advancements in recent years generally allow for elite athletes who still have their youth to return to full form, or something close to it, after serious injuries such as ACL tears.
The Packers should be able, then, to rely on Parsons returning at 100 percent, or something like it, at some point in September or October. In the meantime, Green Bay must decide whether to cut, trade or keep edge-rusher Rashan Gary as well as make a call on the fifth-year option for former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness ahead of the league’s May 1 deadline.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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