GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers’ best player is progressing well as he rehabs the torn ACL he suffered in December.Edge rusher Micah Parsons spoke with reporters for almost 20 minutes Tuesday after the Packers’ sixth practice of training camp and said he has made “a lot” of strides in the approximately two months since we last heard from him.Parsons is a hair more than seven months past his Dec. 29 surgery date to repair the torn ACL and meniscus damage he suffered Dec. 14 in a game against the Denver Broncos that ultimately began Green Bay’s end-of-season collapse.“I’m running. I’m moving around. I’m at a plyo(metrics) stage, and next thing to conquer after we finish decel(eration) will be change of direction, and hopefully we accomplish that in six weeks,” Parsons said. “We’re blocking each phase off into six-week phases, so we’re right where we should be, and as a training staff and myself, we’re excited and happy where I’m at and just excited to keep working.”Tucker Kraft back in action at Packers training campJourdan Rodrigue and Rachael TindeParsons provided insight into his daily routine during training camp. He wakes up at 6:45 a.m. and arrives at Lambeau Field by 7:30. His day of rehab begins with 30 minutes in the Ammortal Chamber, described by the company Ammortal as “a revolutionary wellness product that seamlessly integrates over 10 proven, non-invasive technologies.” It retails at a shade under $160,000. Then comes table work at 8 a.m., a team meeting, submersion in the hot tub and another hour of table work with Nate Weir, the Packers’ head athletic trainer whom Parsons said has become a close friend through rehab.Parsons then spends an hour on stretches and mobility exercises to keep his hip, ankles and other body parts healthy. He heads across the street to practice, which starts at 10:30 a.m., and for about two hours runs and lifts with Weir while the team practices. Parsons then does an hour of post-rehab and participates in meetings before observing the team’s daily evening walk-through inside the stadium.“I tell guys all the time I’d rather be practicing than rehabbing,” Parsons said. “Rehab is definitely worse because while guys may get breaks in between reps, I mean, we’re grinding for two, three hours straight. Like no breaks. We’re hitting the gas because Nate has a job to do and I got a job to do, so we have this timeframe where we gotta maximize it.”Parsons wants to make sure nobody compares his recovery timeline to that of tight end Tucker Kraft, who recently started practicing about two weeks shy of the nine-month mark post-surgery. Parsons told reporters this offseason that the Packers have a nine-month no-football rule for players who tear their ACLs. Kraft suffered a clean ACL tear, but Parsons’ injury involved meniscus damage, complicating the recovery. While Kraft was walking four weeks after surgery, Parsons said he was on crutches for seven weeks.“So you could just add those three weeks right there. It’s a whole different rehab program because you’re trying to protect the meniscus,” Parsons said. “I don’t even like to compare. I’m happy that Tuck’s back and he’s in a great shape and position because I know how much he wants to win and I know how much this offseason meant to him and just to be back with the team, so I’m just happy about that. I just work every day so I could join those guys.”So when might we see Parsons both on a practice field and in a game?Nine months after surgery is Sept. 29. That’s the Tuesday before Green Bay visits Tampa Bay that Sunday in Week 4. If all goes well over the next two months, the Packers could activate Parsons off the physically unable to perform list that Wednesday. It’s also possible he doesn’t practice that soon and returns a week or two or three after that. Everyone will circle Week 6 as a possible return to game action, though. Not only might that be the best-case scenario for Parsons’ season debut, but it’s when the Packers host “Sunday Night Football” against who? The Dallas Cowboys. Parsons was asked whether playing in that game is a realistic possibility.“I think it’s very realistic,” Parsons said. “Me and the staff, we’ve got to put the work in. We’ve got to get to the point where I’m feeling great, and we say, ‘Micah, you’ll be in a really good phase.’ Is it possible? Yes. So I wouldn’t say it’s not possible, but at the same time, in these next 10 weeks — 10, 12 weeks from now on — we’ve got to do our part to make it possible. It’s not off the board, but we’ve got to put the work in.”Parsons has made clear his long-term health is more important than rushing back early in the season. He said Tuesday that he hopes getting his ACL tear out of the way is his version of a pitcher getting Tommy John surgery out of the way, and that he has another six to 10 years of high-level football left. He also said he feels like a much better player physically and feels stronger and more stable because, “I probably was blind to a lot of things that I probably should have been working on that I got a chance to correct and get stronger during this process.”Yet for all the talk about the lead-up to Parsons’ return, he said that’s not what people should be preoccupied with.“I think when you come out of these situations, you’re either going to be better or you’re worse, and for me, I’ve done everything I possibly can to be better,” Parsons said. “People are worried about the knee. They should be worried about how I’m going to play when I get back. The anger, the frustration, the things that I’m going to have to let out because of how long it’s been since I played. So I think that’s what people should really worry about. How great is Micah going to be when he gets back? Not about when I get back because that’s the short term. It’s about how great I’m going to be, how I can help my teammates, and how far we’re going to go into a playoff run.”Aug 4, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms