A big group of Cheeseheads chanted “Thank you, Jerry” after Micah Parsons’ first game with the Green Bay Packers last season while the linebacker bobbed his head and encouraged the crowd. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had traded Parsons just before the 2025 regular season, and the Packers couldn’t be any happier with their new defensive cornerstone. But the elation soon disappeared with an ACL tear that ended his season.

“Packers star Micah Parsons makes clear that he’ll begin the 2026 season on the PUP list, offering a target of mid-October until he’s on the field,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared on X. “With a long career ahead, no shortcuts.”

Parsons tore his ACL trying to rush the Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in their Week 15 matchup. He limped off the field in the third quarter and landed on the IR three days later. The linebacker also underwent surgery in late December 2025 to fix what was damaged. Reportedly, the rehab needs a strict nine-month recovery rule.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Micah Parsons revealed that the ACL tear wasn’t the only thing he had been dealing with last season. He also had a meniscus procedure, and that made the nine-month window crucial for him.

“We have a pretty strong nine-month rule,” Parsons said. “It’s just all about, just through the research and the data, there’s no good outcomes with players coming back from ACL. Especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up, so it’s just about completing the rehab to the best of our ability and then seeing where we’re at from there.”

The usual ACL injury return timeline ranges from 6 to 9 months. But if you add a meniscus procedure to it, that can take up to 12 months to recover in some cases. And whatever Parsons says, his legs have already been through the wringer.

Parsons had a Grade 1 knee strain in 2021. A high ankle sprain then sidelined him in 2024. And now he’s dealing with a mending ACL and meniscus. Even though DraftSharks projects low injury risk for 2026 (35%), Green Bay will have to manage his workload to make sure he can stay upright for the whole season. And for his part, Micah is thinking along those same lines.

“The goal for me is to complete the season – not to relapse – and playoffs and pushing towards a championship,” Parsons 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.”

After trading for him, the Packers had handed Micah a $186 million, four-year deal – handing him the title of the highest-paid non-QB in the process. Although that title now belongs to Will Anderson Jr., Green Bay knows the value of a star who has made the Pro Bowl every season he has played the game. They won’t be in any rush to bring him back.

Packers HC gives update on Micah Parsons’ injury

Head coach Matt LaFleur has now seen enough to give a positive update about Parsons. “He’s in the building. So that was great to see him yesterday and to see where he’s at in that process. – He’s been as advertised in terms of the player and a leader on this football team, so I couldn’t be more excited than to have a guy like that.”

But when asked about the actual progress Parsons has made so far, LaFleur skillfully avoided the question.

“Well, that’s a great question for the doctors and trainers,” he said, “but from my eyes, he looks pretty good.”

Regardless of what LaFleur says to defend his star, there is no question that Micah Parsons is now on the PUP list while the rest of the team pushes through the OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. Even when he comes back fully healthy, he will first have to face a 21-day practice window before he can be cleared for suiting up.

Interestingly, it is because of the NFL’s modified PUP rule that Parsons can project a mid-October return. Starting the season on the PUP list means he will miss the first four games. But the new rule will let the team open Parsons’ practice window after Week 2 of the regular season.

Once Micah Parsons suits up again, the biggest question will be whether he can be the same player who kept offensive coordinators up at night. But he is already aiming for January football, and more “Thank you, Jerry” chants might just be in the cards for his fans.