Packers GM Reveals Injury Timelines for Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft

The Green Bay Packers finished last season without two of their biggest stars.

Tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL back in Week 9, and edge-rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15.

While their recovery timelines don't exactly match up perfectly given the six-week disparity between them, general manager Brian Gutekunst revealed this week he expects them both to return at roughly the same time.

"They're doing great," Gutekunst told SiriusXM NFL 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. 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."

Both Kraft and Parsons were having strong seasons when they suffered their respective injuries, and when both went down, the team struggled on both sides of the ball.

Kraft recorded 32 catches on 46 targets for 489 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Green Bay averaged 258.8 yards passing per game with Kraft and just 205.2 yards passing per game after his injury.

Conversely, Parsons had a team-high 79 pressures, 51 hurries, 14 QB hits, 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles, per Pro Football Focus.

Once Parsons went down with an injury, Green Bay lost its final four games of the season (including the game he was injured in). The team's defense was still effective, but not nearly as dangerous as it was with him.

Given the typical 12-month recovery for ACL injuries, hearing Gutekunst expects both players back in the early part of the season is a big win for Packers fans.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:14 PM.