Packers DC Jeff Hafley predicts Micah Parsons will come back from torn ACL to break sack record in 2026
Regardless of whether Parsons, who has five straight seasons with at least a dozen sacks, can come close to the record, even getting him back on the field early next season would be a boon for Green Bay.
For now, they’ll attempt a playoff push sans their star defender. The Packers have allowed a 101.4 opponent passer rating with Parsons off the field in 2025, per Next Gen Stats — 89.1 opponent passer rating with Parsons on the field.
Starting with Saturday’s showdown in Chicago, with the NFC North lead on the line, Green Bay needs the rest of the defense to pick up for Parsons’ absence.
“Our best players are going to step up, and the guys who haven’t played a lot, that’s been our job all year, is to develop those guys,” Hafley said. “So in situations like this, they’re going to step up, and we’re going to play hard, and we’re going to coach hard, and we’re going to do everything we can to win. That’s my take on all this. This is press on full speed ahead, and we’re ready to go.”
The Week 16 matchup will be the latest Packers-Bears game by week all-time in which the winner will take the division lead (the previous latest was their Week 14, 2025 matchup).
