Packers Eye Thanksgiving Eve Return For Star Pass Rusher Micah Parsons

Parsons Targets Thanksgiving Eve Return

The Green Bay Packers are working toward getting star pass rusher Micah Parsons back on the field. Both the team and Parsons are aiming for a return on November 25 during the Thanksgiving Eve game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Parsons is scheduled to practice next week after meeting all of his recent rehab goals. However, practicing next week does not mean his rehab is finished. It simply marks the next step in the ramp up plan created by Parsons and the training staff in Green Bay.

The plan calls for Parsons to participate in individual drills during practice next week. If everything goes well, he will advance to team drills the following week. That leads into Green Bay's bye in Week 11, followed by a short week of preparation for the night game.

Recovering From Severe Knee Injury

Parsons has been out of action since December 14, when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus. He underwent surgery to reconstruct his ACL and fully repair the meniscus on December 29. Before his injury, he recorded 12.5 sacks in 14 games last season.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur knows the difference Parsons can make on the field. "At the end of the day, that's the medical decision," LaFleur said. "Yeah, I'm itching for it, though, for sure."

Parsons has been open about taking time to heal correctly. Speaking on his podcast, The Edge, he explained that returning early can cause an overcompensation injury on the opposite side. "It's just about me making sure I have all the small things fixed first," Parsons said.

What it means for the next game

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots (NFL, Sun, 08 Nov): New England Patriots win 54%, Green Bay Packers win 46%; projected score New England Patriots 26, Green Bay Packers 21. Our safest pick: Patriots +4.