Patience. That’s the mantra Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons has been forced to adopt after facing yet another setback. The 27-year-old underwent ACL surgery last year after suffering an injury against the Denver Broncos on December 14. With roughly four months remaining in his recovery, the Pennsylvania native recently revealed that he underwent another medical procedure and is still coming to terms with the circumstances.
Micah Parsons Is Leaving No Stone Unturned to Make His Comeback
Having completed five seasons in the NFL, Parsons knows a thing or two about longevity at the highest level. That is why he is strictly adhering to the nine-month recovery timeline after his injury setback. However, the star pass rusher recently revealed that he also underwent a meniscus procedure, meaning he is targeting a mid-October return at the earliest.
“I would definitely say it is hard for me to accept,” he said. “Not only is it hard to accept that I’mma miss more time than what I want, but obviously hard to accept the injury. It constantly replays in my brain… I haven’t accepted it yet, but I work hard as hell every day trying to make sure that I will be better when it comes out of this.”
At 27, Parsons is well aware that he has a long career ahead of him. While many others would risk pushing for an early return, the linebacker does not want to take any risks that could cause his injury to linger further into the season.
“The goal for me is to complete the season — not no relapse — and playoffs and pushing towards a championship,” he said. “The goal isn’t for me to go out there and re-hurt myself trying to force myself to be back in the first few games. The goal has always been playoffs, and I think we’re all on the same page.”
If Parsons starts the season on the PUP list, he would be eligible to return to practice ahead of the Week 5 game against the Chicago Bears. Under league rules, players coming off the PUP list have a three-week practice window before they must either be activated to the roster or remain inactive. The Packers will play Parsons’ former team, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 6 on October 18.
The Packers gave up Kenny Clark and two first-round picks last August to acquire Parsons, and the team was 9-3-1 before his injury. They then lost their final four regular-season games and were subsequently eliminated by the Bears in the opening round of the playoffs.
According to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric, despite playing just 14 games, Parsons posted an impact score of 89.5 last season, ranking fourth in the league.
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Perhaps that is why Parsons said, “We got a tough schedule this year, and I think for the betterment of everyone, everyone wants me at 100 and wants me in those games so we can make this championship run.”
For the time being, Parsons is working hard behind the scenes and has added an anti-gravity treadmill to his rehabilitation program. He is also in close contact with general manager Brian Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur, and director of sports medicine Nate Weir throughout the recovery process.
