The Green Bay Packers will open their regular season in less than a week against the Minnesota Vikings. Ahead of the matchup, Green Bay announced its five team captains across the offense, defense, and special teams. While quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Tucker Kraft are offensive captains, safety Xavier McKinney and linebacker Zaire Franklin are defensive leaders, with linebacker Isaiah McDuffie serving as the special teams captain.
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As that happened, fans surely noticed the absence of veteran Micah Parsons. Parsons, meanwhile, celebrated his team’s captains, as the 27-year-old reshared the Packers’ Instagram post on his story. Right after that, Packers beat writer for The Athletic Matt Schneidman took to X and wrote, “Not sure why he’s not a captain, but he doesn’t seem bothered.”
Schneidman’s post prompted Parsons’ brother, Terrence Parsons Jr., to respond with a message for his brother, writing:
“Some just lead by example‼️”
Parsons arrived last year as a trade from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks. At the same time, the 27-year-old has already established himself as one of the best at his position. So, it’s easier to understand why Parsons’ absence as a team captain raised some eyebrows.
However, the Packers’ decision also carries weight, considering Parsons’ unavailability. Per reports, Micah Parsons is set to miss at least four to five games of the regular season, as he is still nursing the injury that he suffered during the 2025 season.
In a Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos, Parsons went down with a non-contact knee injury while pass-rushing quarterback Bo Nix. Subsequent reports confirmed that he has torn his ACL. Ahead of the season opener against the Vikings, the Packers have placed Parsons on the PUP list as he recovers from his ACL injury.
Micah Parsons is now sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season.
In his absence, general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked about his thoughts on the team’s pass-rush unit and whether the Packers have reliable options to fill the void. Gutekunst, meanwhile, sounded optimistic about his unit.
“Yeah, I think we do,” the general manager said. “I’m really excited about the group we have. We only kept four on the active [roster] but, on the practice squad, we were able to keep Nyjalik [Kelly] as well as Arron Mosby,” Gutekunst continued. “As you know, things can change, but those six guys I feel pretty good about.”
It remains to be seen how the 2026 season will turn out for both Parsons and the Packers.