The Green Bay Packers haven’t won a game without Micah Parsons in the lineup since trading for him just ahead of last year’s season opener, which makes his absence for at least the first month of this campaign all the more disconcerting.
Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated on Wednesday, July 1 authored a deep dive into the slate of teams the Packers are going to face to start the season, likely without Parsons, as well as those opponents with which the superstar pass-rusher will match up once Green Bay reintroduces him to the lineup.
The news is bad all around for the Packers if the team can’t/doesn’t find some juice off the edge to aid Lukas Van Ness and the rest of a relatively inexperienced and unaccomplished group of pass rushers heading into Week 1.
“While [the Packers are] fortunate to face mediocre passing games to start the season, they could be destroyed if the pass rush gets stuck in quicksand without Parsons to create mayhem,” Huber wrote. “Without a pass rush, the Packers could be buried in a hurry — whether it’s against a journeyman quarterback like [Geno] Smith or a prolific passer like [Dak] Prescott.”
Packers Face Manageable Slate of Teams, QBs Across First 4 Weeks
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.
Green Bay’s schedule over the first four games, which Parsons is all but certain to miss based on his own public comments, is as follows:
- Minnesota Vikings (QB Kyler Murray)
- New York Jets (QB Geno Smith)
- Atlanta Falcons (QB Michael Penix Jr. of Tua Tagovailoa)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (QB Baker Mayfield)
Huber pointed out that even with a mediocre pass rush, it’s possible the Packers might keep their heads above water through the first four weeks.
Murray played reasonably in 2024, but he hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2021, played in just five games last year and will be starting his first contest ever with the Vikings in Week 1.
Smith was awful last season, neither Penix nor Tagovailoa has played well enough over the past two years to strike real fear into the hearts of any viable defenses and Mayfield finished last season in a downward spiral after beginning the campaign well enough to garner some MVP chatter.
Packers’ Schedule Gets Tougher Starting Week 5 Against Bears
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
But then, as Parsons returns and begins to ramp up by playing in his first meaningful snaps since mid-December 2025, the slate of teams and QBs Green Bay must navigate spikes considerably in terms of talent.
From Week 5-Week 7, the Packers’ schedule is as follows:
- Chicago Bears (QB Caleb Williams)
- Dallas Cowboys (QB Dak Prescott)
- Detroit Lions (QB Jared Goff)
Williams had Green Bay’s number last season, and he’s the probably the least susceptible to edge pressure of any quarterback the Packers face through Week 7 given his pocket instincts and ability to scramble with speed and intention.
Prescott, meanwhile, should have an MVP case this season given the elite offense Dallas has built around him. And while the Lions’ defense is in something of a nightmarish position at the moment given all the injury and drama in the secondary, Detroit’s offense should again be one of the better units in the NFL.
Packers Have Relatively Inexperienced, Unaccomplished Group of Pass-Rushers
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge-rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Parsons should be back for all of three contests starting in Week 5. But if he isn’t fully himself, which is fair to expect given all the time off, Green Bay needs more than just a breakout campaign from Van Ness to help a cornerback room that has major questions — even after two new additions in Benjamin St-Juste and second-round rookie Brandon Cisse, each of whom could end up starters eventually.
Behind/alongside Van Ness currently are Brenton Cox Jr. heading into Year 4 on a minimum contract and fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton out of Penn State.
Cox, an undrafted free agent in 2023, has appeared in 15 games and started one of those over his first three seasons. He has a total of 316 snaps to his credit, including 243 on defense and 73 on special teams. Cox has tallied 17 tackles, 10 quarterback hits, six tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles over that span, indicating an efficient player — albeit on a small sample size.
As for Dennis-Sutton, it’s a lot for the Packers to ask of a Day 3 rookie to contribute meaningfully from Week 1, even in a rotational role, but that is probably what new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is going to have to do.
Green Bay has some veteran options from which to choose if the franchise decides to add help, including Jadeveon Clowney and potentially Joey Bosa, though the latter may be more strongly considering retirement at this point than playing another season.
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