Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst left the door open to edge rusher Micah Parsons practicing as soon as he can by rule, and he expressed confidence in Parsons being "pretty close" to ready by the time his mandated four-game absence while on the PUP list is over.
While a tendency towards caution remains the centerpiece of Parsons' return to the field, Gutekunst sounded optimistic in the timeline moving forward.
"We have a pretty good idea that once we get out of that four-game window that we're going to be pretty close," Gutekunst said Tuesday. "I'm going to be pretty cautious with that, we have a pretty big investment there, and he's really important to what we're trying to do, and to accomplish the goals we want to late in the year,
he's going to have to be at his best, so I want to make sure that happens. But he's eager."
Parsons, who tore his ACL in mid-December of last year, began the season on the PUP list, meaning he must miss the first four games. But a new rule put in place for the 2026 season will allow players on the PUP list to begin practicing after two weeks, and Gutekunst admitted it'll be tough to keep Parsons off the practice field once he's eligible.
"I imagine when that time comes, there's going to be some conversations about things, what he can and can't do, because he's going to be really eager to get out there," he said.
Parsons has long said that he won't return until he feels back to himself, and he's pointed, on several occasions, that returning in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys represents something close to a best-case scenario. The Packers face the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 5.
If Parsons can return to some level of practice participation in Week 3, the most optimistic of return timelines becomes possible.
"I guess it doesn't shock me at all, obviously, but these guys, they want to play," Gutekunst said. "They're unhappy when they're not playing. They want to be out there with their teammates, they want to be competing. Whether it's an injury or any other reason they can't be out there, that's tough on those guys. They want to be out there. He's definitely in that category."
Parsons will miss games against the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to star the season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers GM sounds optimistic on Micah Parsons' return timeline
