Andrew Buller-Russ
Leading up to the 2025 NFL season, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst felt strongly that his team was ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Thus, he swung the biggest trade of his career, sending two first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Gutekunst’s gamble proved to be correct. The Packers did have one of the NFL’s best teams, but the one thing he couldn’t predict was that the team would lose two of its best players to season-ending injuries.
Both Parsons and the team’s leading pass-catcher, tight end Tucker Kraft, suffered torn ACLs last season. Kraft’s injury occurred in Week 9. Parsons’ happened in Week 15. Yet, despite the six-week difference from the time of their injuries, Parsons may not necessarily be in line to miss more time than Kraft, because he’s a “little bit of a freak” as Gutekunst described.
“They’re doing great,” Gutekunst said on SiriusXM Radio. “Tuck’s been in here every day, and he’s obviously a little bit ahead of schedule, just because his injury happened earlier than Micah’s did. But Micah’s such a – he’s a little bit of a freak. So I think some of that has taken over, and he’s doing really well, as well.” He continued, “So, certainly expect both of those guys back early in the season. And they’ll be a big part of what we’re doing moving forward.”
The Packers ended up losing in Week 15, in the game where Parsons got hurt, and they lost all four of their next games. Suddenly, a 9-3-1 record ended at 9-8-1 after a playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.
Meanwhile, Kraft tied for the Packers’ lead along with Christian Watson, averaging 61 yards per game. Parsons led the team with 12.5 sacks. Getting two of the team’s most impactful players back early in the season could go a long way toward the Packers’ success in 2026.
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