For the third time in franchise history, the Minnesota Vikings will host the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, and the way it’s trending, Micah Parsons may not be ready for the contest.
Parsons’s injury timeline may leave Green Bay without its biggest defensive weapon for the opener.
On December 14th, 2025, Parsons tore his ACL, and based on his current timeline, participating in Week 1 might be a stretch.
Green Bay’s Pass Rush Faces an Early Season Question
A Parsons-less Packers squad is a real possibility out of the gate.
The Parsons Update
Parsons’s status will be monitored intently this summer. NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote last week, “Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this month that the team expects edge rusher Micah Parsons to return early in the 2026 season after recovering from a torn ACL, but did not put any more specific time frame on how much time Parsons could miss.”
“A report on Thursday does a little more on that front. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Parsons is a candidate to open the season on the physically unable to perform list. If that’s the case, Parsons will not be able to play in the first four weeks of the regular season.”
As the Vikings face the Packers right away in September, Parsons may not partake.
No Reason for Packers to Push the Envelope
Ever notice how the Vikings often take their “sweet time” with players’ injury recoveries — erring on the side of caution? The Packers do that, too.
It’s actually a smart practice, and when it comes to Parsons — who might be the best defensive player in the NFL — there’s no reason to rush him back. Green Bay proved last year, rather vividly, that it could not win a Super Bowl or come anywhere close to it without Parsons. Forcing him into the Week 1 lineup “just because” is downright silly.
And it just so happens that Minnesota will be the beneficiary based on the NFL’s luck-of-the-draw schedule-making.
A to Z Sports’ Wendell Ferreira on Parsons’s return: “Based on NFL rules, Parsons would be forced to miss at least four games if he starts the season on the PUP list. If the Packers want him back earlier than that, they would have to waste a 53-man roster spot for a few games — which is totally fine, since you can only activate 48 players for each game anyway.”
“Parsons is still relatively early in his recovery process. His injury happened exactly five months ago, and the regular season is still four months away. The Packers tend to be cautious with significant injuries, so it’s not a surprise that they’re expecting a longer recovery time.”
For context, Parsons is already a five-time Pro Bowler.
“Parsons himself has said that he would likely not be ready to play in Week 1, but his initial goal was to get back in September. That doesn’t look like the most realistic scenario at this point, but an early October return is more feasible,” Ferreira concluded.
GB’s EDGEs without Parsons
Green Bay certainly won’t waltz into the regular season unprepared at outside linebacker. It’s not what that franchise does. Including Parsons, here’s the full OLB group heading into the summer:
- Micah Parsons
- Lukas Van Ness
- Brenton Cox Jr.
- Barryn Sorrell
- Dani Dennis-Sutton
- Collin Oliver
- Arron Mosby
- Nyjalik Kelly
Dennis-Sutton is a rookie, and possibly sans Parsons for four games or so in September, Packers fans will hope that he’s more game-ready than most rookies.
Other Week 1 Storylines
In addition to Parsons Watch, Vikings-Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 1 will have no shortage of storylines. They will include:
- Kyler Murray vs. Jonathan Gannon: The Arizona Cardinals got rid of their quarterback and head coach this offseason. Both now work in the NFC North, Murray as the presumptive Vikings QB1 and Gannon as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Their first order of business outside the confines of Arizona? Face each other in Minneapolis.
- Javon Hargrave “Revenge Game”: The Vikings cut Hargrave in March, and less than a week later, he signed with the Packers and will now start on Green Bay’s defensive line. Most athletes like to stick it to their former employer. Hargrave probably isn’t an exception.
- The matchup will be the Vikings’ first game without Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager for the first time since 2021.
- Minnesota could embark on its first regular season game without Harrison Smith in the roster orbit since 2011.
- Vikings-Packers is a natural rivalry.
- It’s Week 1 — the return of Vikings football.
The regular season is 117 days away.
