The Green Bay Packers could have afforded losing a game to the Denver Broncos. They probably can’t afford to lose Micah Parsons. And now, if he’s out with what’s feared to be a torn ACL, they face a bigger challenge in Week 16 at the Chicago Bears.
Parsons has been as good as advertised for Green Bay, which is why his injury on Sunday was a bad one for the Packers. Parsons left Sunday’s game and went to the locker room after injuring his left knee. The team fears he tore his ACL, according to Pro Football Talk.
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“Yeah, it doesn’t look good,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said afterward.
The injury could affect the entire playoff picture in the NFL, as the Packers’ championship hopes will take a massive blow if Parsons is lost for the season.
The Packers led by two when Parsons was injured, and seeing him leave seemed to affect them. Denver scored two touchdowns after that and won 34-26 to improve to 12-2, which is the NFL’s best record.
Parsons’ status overshadowed the outcome of the game. Parsons got good pressure on Bo Nix on an inside pass rush, but when Nix moved to avoid him, Parsons planted his left leg, his knee buckled and he immediately hopped up in the air grabbing his knee. He went down and trainers came out to evaluate him, as did Packers coach Matt LaFleur.
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Parsons was able to walk off but went straight to the locker room. Players from both teams came to give Parsons a pat on the head or shoulder before he left the field, including Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II.
The Packers still will be in good shape in the NFC North if they beat the Bears in Week 16 to get the season sweep, but that becomes a lot harder if they’re without their defensive star. And if Parsons misses significant time, a long playoff run will be a much bigger challenge.
Green Bay made a huge move just before the season started to trade for Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. Parsons had 12.5 sacks coming into Sunday’s game, and the Packers were in first place in the NFC North. The Packers looked like potential Super Bowl contenders, and Parsons has once again been one of the best defensive players in the NFL. His importance can’t be overstated, and there was serious concern when he was heading back to the locker room.
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The Broncos cruised past the Packers after Parsons’ injury, which isn’t a good sign moving forward if Parsons is out for a while.
