Much has been made about the 2026 New York Jets schedule.
However, the team did catch a lucky break. The green and white are set to host the Green Bay Packers for their home opener at MetLife Stadium in Week 2.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons is a “candidate to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List” to start the 2026 season as he completes his recovery from a torn ACL last December via Yahoo Sports.
If Parsons is on the PUP list to start the season, “[he] must miss the first four games of the season,” per ESPN.
That means Parsons would be unavailable for the Jets-Packers Week 2 game.
Why Parsons Missing This Game Would Be Massive
This just in, Parsons is good at football. Thanks for reading, everybody.
Parsons, 26, will turn 27 before the start of the 2026 season. Across his five seasons in the league, Parsons has racked up 65 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 139 quarterback hits, and 75 tackles for loss.
He is a dominant force at a premium position. When he wasn’t on the field last season, the Packers struggled.
“Packers were 0-5 without Micah to finish the year, and their pressure rate in the final 5 weeks of the year dropped from 43.9% which was 3rd in the NFL to 23.4% which was dead last in the NFL,” NFL analyst Will Parkinson revealed on social media.
“Packers are [a] damn good team, just a totally different game without Micah Parsons,” Parkinson explained.
On the surface, this is a difficult challenge. Since Matt LaFleur took over as head coach in 2019, Green Bay has won three NFC North titles, they have gone to the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, and it has a 76-40-1 overall record.
What initially looked like an impossible challenge from the NFL has suddenly appeared to be much more manageable.
Another Injury Situation to Watch…
Parsons is likely not going to be available for the Jets game, which is good news. However, there is another important injury that should be closely monitored leading into the game.
Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL in November. Schefter said the team is hopeful that he will be ready for the season opener, but that isn’t a guarantee.
Kraft certainly doesn’t have the name power that Parsons does, but he is critically important to the Packers’ offense.
Kraft, 25, will turn 26 during the 2026 season. He was on pace for a career season last year, but the injury halted that journey.
Kraft appeared in eight games, was targeted 44 times, caught 32 receptions for 489 receiving yards, and scored six touchdowns.
If he is unavailable, that takes away arguably the Packers’ best pass catcher on the team, which would make things even more difficult for Green Bay on the road.
The Jets have had their fair share of issues with defending tight ends over the years. This offseason, the Jets brought back Demario Davis for a third stint, but he is a 37-year-old linebacker. Jamien Sherwood is coming off a rough year and is a projected starter next to Davis.
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