Kamal Ghorui
Patrick Mahomes could return Week 1 after faster ACL Surgery than Micah Parsons
Green Bay’s most important player might not even suit up for Week 1. Not great. Adam Schefter dropped a brutal update Thursday morning on ESPN’s Get Up. Parsons is officially “a candidate to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List” to start the season, as he continues to recover from his torn ACL. The Packers gave up a king’s ransom for this man. This is not what they were hoping to hear.
The Green Bay Packers may start the season without Micah Parsons after a major PUP list update
Parsons went down with a season-ending ACL tear on December 14, prematurely closing out his first season in Green Bay. He’d been everything the Packers wanted, 12.5 sacks in 14 games, leading the team by a wide margin. Then it all fell apart. Without him, the Packers collapsed down the stretch, eventually losing a Wild Card game to division rivals the Chicago Bears after blowing an 18-point lead. Rough.What the PUP list actually meansFor the uninitiated, it’s not great. Being placed on the PUP list at the beginning of the season means Parsons would have to miss at least the first four games. There is a small silver lining, though. The NFL modified its PUP rule at the league’s annual meeting, now allowing players to begin a 21-day practice period after the club’s second game of the regular season, down from four games previously. So theoretically, Parsons could be back on the practice field by Week 3. Parsons himself has previously said he expects to return around Week 3 or 4, with a potential Thursday Night Football home game against the Atlanta Falcons or a road game against Tampa Bay as his target. His most realistic return? Week 5 against the Bears. Revenge game incoming.
Parsons vs. Mahomes — Same injury, very different updates
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and torn LCL on the same day as Parsons, December 14. Same injury day. Completely different recovery story. Schefter says Mahomes has a “realistic chance” of being ready for Week 1, with the Chiefs’ coaching staff telling people around the league they expect him to be fully cleared early in training camp.Parsons is flying through rehab in Italy. Mahomes is apparently just built different.Green Bay gave up two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to land Parsons, who then signed a four-year, $188 million deal with $136 million guaranteed. Starting the season without him is a massive blow to a defense still trying to prove it belongs.The Packers are being cautious. Smart. But Packers fans? They are not okay.
