Micah Parsons Eyed for Week 6 Return Against Former Team as Packers Navigate Early Absence
The Green Bay Packers lost superstar Micah Parsons late in the 2025 season as he went down with a torn ACL. Green Bay was looking like a Super Bowl contender prior to his injury, but the end of the Packers’ season didn’t pan out in Parsons’ absence.
The 27-year-old pass rusher made a major impact in his first season in Green Bay, finishing with 41 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection. He was named an All-Pro despite only appearing in 14 games.
With Parsons recovering from his injury, he won’t be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2026 season. However, there is some optimism for a return in the first half of the season, as The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported he could return in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.
“He’s probably gonna return in week six here at Lambeau against the Dallas Cowboys,” Schneidman said.
Parsons is one of the best players in the league, and the Packers will miss him on their defense while he recovers from his torn ACL. However, a return against his former team would be a highly anticipated matchup in the first half of the season.
Who Steps Up in Parsons’ Absence?
While Parsons is out, Green Bay will rely on the rest of their pass rush to band together, as no single player can replace how he rushes the quarterback.
Lukas Van Ness will play a key role as he enters his fourth season in the league. Van Ness showed some flashes across nine games in the 2025 season, finishing with 19 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
The Packers selected Van Ness with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he hasn’t panned out thus far. They will need him to take a leap in the 2026 season, as he will have a bigger role with Parsons out and Rashan Gary traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
Green Bay will also be leaning on young edge rushers Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, and Dani Dennis-Sutton. The Packers’ defense is also under a new scheme, as Jonathan Gannon was brought in as the defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley was hired as the Miami Dolphins head coach.
With all of the changes and young pieces on the defense, Green Bay will need to survive the first stretch of the season before their superstar, Parsons, returns to the field.
Final Thoughts
Micah Parsons’ potential Week 6 return against the Cowboys offers a compelling storyline for Packers fans. Until then, Green Bay must find ways to generate pressure without their star edge rusher. The performance of Lukas Van Ness and the younger pass rushers under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon will be critical in keeping the defense competitive during the early weeks of the 2026 season.