(Photo: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)
You know you're deep in the midst of the NFL dead zone when you're writing stories based on a player's family members' posts on the internet.
Last week, Micah Parsons' brother, Terrence, went on Twitter and said that he thinks Micah could miss at least the first eight games of the 2026 season.
So, by no surprise, much of Packers' Twitter was in a panic as they originally believed Parsons would only miss four or five games at most.
In the words of the great Aaron Rodgers – R-E-L-A-X.
Is it discouraging to hear that Parsons may be sidelined longer than we expected?
Of course.
Does that mean the entire team is doomed in 2026?
Absolutely not.
First off, the Packers front office has done an admirable job adding more depth all along the defensive front, while we've also seen major growth from EDGE2 Lukas Van Ness.
If Van Ness can build off his strong performance in 2025 and 2026 OTA's, this front seven may be a lot better than we ever could've expected, and that's without calculating the contributions we may see from guys like Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, and rookie fourth round pick Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Looking inside, the additions of Javon Hargrave and Chris McClellan could turn out to be huge moves as Hargrave reunites with the DC that brought the best out of him in Philly.
Meanwhile, McClellan has been stepping up when needed during practices thus far as he takes snaps with the starters, albeit without pads.
Look at the first half of the schedule for Green Bay, when they'll likely be without Parsons, and you'll see a mostly mixed bag.
Home games against the Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, and Panthers. Road games against the Vikings, Jets, Buccaneers, and Lions.
There are three games that very clearly stand out when you look at that list – Bears, Lions, and Cowboys.
If Jordan Love can lead them to at least one win in those three games, I think the team will be in a fine position by the time Parsons returns.
There is no reason why they can't go at least 4-1 in the remaining five games, if not 5-0.
Even in our bearish scenario, the Packers would be 5-3 as they reached the midpoint of their schedule, where things really start to ramp up.
Getting Parsons back before Week 9 is critical, though, as they prepare for games against the Patriots, Rams, and Bills over their next five weeks. That is a brutal stretch with two very mobile quarterbacks.
They are going to need Parsons on the field if they want any real shot to get out of that stretch relatively unscathed.
Every Micah Parsons sack in his first year with the #Packers pic.twitter.com/nyHWESOBew
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) January 20, 2026
No doubt, it would be great to get Parsons back sometime in the first half of the season, but the importance of those games pales in comparison to how important it is for this team to have him healthy and at full-go down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Brian Gutekunst took a big shot on Parsons, and he must do everything he can to protect his most valuable asset. Even if that means keeping him on the bench for a week or two longer than fans may want.
We're in the end game now.
Eli Berkovits is in his 7th season covering the Green Bay Packers for Packer Report. Follow him on Twitter @bookofeli_nfl or contact him via email at berkelliot@yahoo.com