Over the last week, the Green Bay Packers have been on cloud nine following their blockbuster trade to acquire superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Bringing in a player of that quality can change everything. With Parsons onboard, the Packers are one of the top Super Bowl favorites in the NFL. However, there have been some questions about his ability to play in Week 1 against the NFC North rival Detroit Lions.
Parsons has been dealing with a back injury that has been revealed to be an L4/L5 facet joint sprain. His playing status for the game against the Lions has been up in the air.
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Fans have been hoping and praying that Parsons will be able to play. His presence alone would give Green Bay a much bigger chance of starting the season 1-0 and the home crowd at Lambeau Field cannot wait to welcome him to the city.
With that being said, a new major update has been shared about Parsons.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano has spoken out and shared that he would be “shocked” if Parsons was not playing on Sunday afternoon.
“Based on everything I’ve been told this week, I would be shocked if Parsons doesn’t play in some fashion for the Packers against the Lions on Sunday,” Graziano wrote. “It’s too soon for Parsons to know the entire defense, and he probably isn’t in football shape yet since he didn’t practice in training camp. But the Packers should be able to draw up a play package that maximizes Parsons’ impact as an edge rusher in key situations, then continue ramping him up during the early weeks of the season.”
Basically, it’s quite possible that Parsons doesn’t play his normal amount in Week 1. But, fans should still expect to see him on the field.
Last season with the Dallas Cowboys, Parsons dealt with some injury trouble and played in 13 games. He racked up 43 total tackles to go along with 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defended pass.
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At just 26 years old, the Packers do need to be careful with Parsons. The last thing they can afford is to push him too fast and see him get hurt more seriously. If his back is ready to go, Green Bay will put him out on the field.
Expect to hear a more final declaration about Parsons’ playing status in the near future. For now, it sure sounds like he’ll make his debut against Detroit.
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