The Packers’ worst fears were confirmed Monday as star defensive end Micah Parsons sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament, now forming part of one of the most damaging injury stretches in recent NFL history.
Parsons, the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, will be out for the rest of this season, and his status for the start of the 2026 season is uncertain.
Growing List
The injury to the standout Parsons adds to a similar injury on Sunday for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is also out for the rest of the season, and Rams receiver Davante Adams, who sustained a hamstring injury against the Lions. Parsons tore the ligament while in pursuit of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, but it was a noncontact injury.
Mahomes is also facing an extended recovery.
“[It] would be extremely fast for Mahomes to play in Week 1 next year,” said Tom Christ of Motion Stability Physical Therapy Group. “Some players have returned that fast, so not impossible, but fast.”
Will Ratings Be Hurt, Too?
Like the Chiefs, the Packers are one of the most popular NFL teams, including among TV viewers, and the loss of Parsons could impact viewership for the rest of the season. The Packers, however, remain in the mix for the 2025 playoffs, unlike Kansas City, which was eliminated on Sunday. Green Bay, with a 9-4-1 record, currently holds the final playoff slot in the National Football Conference and still has an 88% probability of reaching the postseason.
“I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated,” Parsons said in a social media post. “I will rise again.”
The injury to Adams is not as severe as Parsons’s and Mahomes’s, but the Rams are the first NFC team to clinch a playoff spot and have serious aspirations of a return to the Super Bowl.
Trade Factors
The Packers acquired Parsons just before the start of the regular season in a blockbuster trade with the Cowboys. After that deal, Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract with Green Bay, including $136 million in guaranteed money and representing the type of deal he unsuccessfully sought from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The pact is the largest for a non-quarterback in league history.
The 12.5 sacks that Parsons registered this season are tied for third in the league, and beyond that statistic, he has been a fixture in a Green Bay defense that ranks sixth in the NFL—showing the immediate payoff from the deal.
