Micah Parsons will not be playing Thursday night when the Green Bay Packers host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season. The star pass rusher remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from the serious knee injury that ended his 2025 campaign.
Parsons suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the Packers’ Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos last season. He later revealed that his surgery also included a procedure on his meniscus, adding another element to what has been a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Green Bay has taken a cautious approach with Parsons rather than rushing him back for the start of the season. The Packers placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning he is required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season as he continues working toward a return.
When will Micah Parsons return to play with Packers?
Micah Parsons is expected to miss more than the minimum four games required by his reserve/PUP designation. He has been following a nine-month rehabilitation timeline after his ACL surgery, with the Packers taking a long-term approach to his recovery.
Multiple reports have pointed toward a return sometime in October. Parsons himself has described a mid-October return as realistic, while the Packers have emphasized the importance of completing his rehabilitation before putting him back on the field.
That could be a reasonable target for Parsons, although there is still no firm return date. A potential Week 6 matchup against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on October 18 has been mentioned as one possible point for his return, but Parsons will ultimately need to progress through his rehabilitation before that decision is made.
