Micah Parsons is likely just as eager as Green Bay Packers fans to see him make his debut in the season opener, but since he’s still not fully recovered from a back injury, he’s expected to play against the Detroit Lions in a limited role.
“Micah Parsons, who is listed as questionable for Sunday due to a back injury, is expected to make his Packers’ debut vs. the Lions, but he also is not expected to be in on every down, per sources,” Adam Schefter reported on X.
The report also notes that the team doesn’t yet have a concrete plan for his workload: “The Packers still are figuring out how much to play him; it will be some, but not the full amount.” It’s clear the team wants him to debut but without risking a setback to his injury.
What kind of plays would Parsons participate in?
In a report from Ian Rapoport, he detailed that Parsons’s snaps would likely be minimal vs the Lions. While it wasn’t revealed on which downs he will play, the Packers will be analyzing how their player performs little by little during the first games of the year.
“It won’t be a full complement of plays, however, and Parsons likely will focus on rushing the passer (as opposed to moving around the defense),” Rapoport wrote for NFL. “There will be a ramp-up period to make sure when he does play fully and is integrated, his body is ready.”
It’s worth noting that last season, Parsons appeared in just 13 games with his former team, the Cowboys. Despite being limited, he was a Pro Bowler and was also nominated for the Defensive Player of the Year award.