Parsons Aims for Week 6 Return on Oct 18 After Knee Surgery

Green Bay Packers star linebacker Micah Parsons is targeting a mid-October return from a significant knee injury, specifically eyeing a Week 6 matchup against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, August -, Parsons described the October 18 game as a "very realistic" goal for his comeback, though he emphasized that achieving it requires continued hard work with the medical staff in the coming weeks.

Parsons is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage in his left knee, sustained during a Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos on December 14, 2025. The injury ended his first season with the Packers, a campaign in which he recorded 12.5 sacks in 14 games. He underwent surgery on December 29 and has been following a strict nine-month recovery protocol. He opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Under current NFL rules, if Parsons begins the regular season on the reserve PUP list, he would be ineligible to play for the first four games. The Packers historically prefer to adhere to the full nine-month recovery window before clearing players for practice, which would point to a late September return to the...