It was close to a worst-case scenario for the Green Bay Packers as Micah Parsons went down. The bad news put Matt LaFleur in a reflective mood. And the Packers’ Super Bowl hopes are officially cooked after the Parsons injury.
Not only did the Packers fall to 9-4-1 on the season, but they also slipped to No. 7 in the playoff seeding. The 34-26 loss to the Broncos hurt in the short term.
In the long term, the Packers will need to move forward with a less intimidating defense.
Packers crushed by injury to edge rusher Micah Parsons
LaFleur approached the situation with honesty. It’s the NFL, and injuries are a brutal part of it. He said the team must keep pushing, according to ESPN.
“I told the guys, ‘Nobody is going to feel sorry for us,’” LaFleur said. “Everybody’s going to have to elevate their play.”
The loss of Parsons is devastating, not just for this season. His recovery could keep him off the field well into the 2026 season. And they mortgaged their future by trading draft picks to get the defensive star. This is everything bad for the Packers.
But as for the here and now, the Packers still have a chance, right? They’re still going to make the playoffs, right?
Yes and yes. But … no.
At best, the 2025 Packers become the 2024 Packers. They could still win a playoff game. But their hopes of the No. 1 seed are toast. And right now, they would need to win three straight games on the road to get to the Super Bowl.
Lambeau Field is a great advantage. But the Packers might not be able to use it.
Parsons' first season with the Packers had been a great success. The two first-round picks seemed worth it. And they gave Parsons a four-year, $188 million contract. Coming into the game against the Broncos, Parsons had become the first player in NFL history to record at least a dozen sacks in each of his first five NFL seasons. He had totaled 12.5.
Also, he came into Week 15 with an NFL-leading 60 pressures, 10 more than any other player in the league. It was the most pressures by any player within a team's first 13 games of a season in the past seven years, according to ESPN.
Now, the Packers not only lose Parsons for the playoffs, but they also lose almost a full year of his prime. He’s still young at 26. But the Packers won’t get much, if any, of his age-27 season if he has a typical ACL recovery.
And it’s possible he will never be the same player going forward. That’s the rude reality of the NFL.
Other issues compound the problem
The Packers may also have lost oft-injured wide receiver Christian Watson in the loss to the Broncos. That’s a deep threat the team sorely needs. That’s especially true with the defensive ace in Parsons. The Packers will have to outscore their opponents.
It was a bad day in Denver, according to ESPN.
“That's obviously a really tough night in a lot of ways in regards to losing the football game,” LaFleur said. “Give Denver a ton of credit. That's a really good football team. I thought it was a dogfight for most of the game, and then they kind of ran away with it in the second half.
“It was also a double whammy for us, just losing some pieces that are critical for our success. But that's the name of the game. I told the guys nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to rally around one another. Everybody's going to have to elevate their play.”
Quarterback Jordan Love said the potential loss of Watson makes a difference. But there is still hope.
“Since Christian's been back from his rehab, he's done some great things and been that explosive playmaker that we needed,” Love said. “With him going out, I think we still got plenty of depth in that receiver room and other guys that played plenty of ball and can step up and make plays. I think we'll have no problem filling that void if he's got to miss time.”
The Packers travel to play the Chicago Bears in a battle for first place in the NFC North. Then they return home to meet the Ravens before a season-ending road trip to take on the Vikings. It won't be an easy road without Parsons making everybody better on the defense.
