GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons might finally be back on the practice field next week, more than 10 months after he underwent surgery on his left knee.
While nothing was definitive, coach Matt LaFleur on Tuesday changed the way he answered the weekly question about Parson's return to practice that he has gotten over the past month and a half.
"I sure hope so," LaFleur said.
Previously, the answer had always been a quick and hard no.
LaFleur acknowledged that his answer this time was different.
"It is," he said. "At the end of the day, that's the medical [decision]. Yeah, I'm itching [for] it, though, for sure."
LaFleur added: "I'm saying there's a chance."
Parsons tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee on Dec. 14 and had surgery two weeks later. He remains on the physically unable to perform list. Once players on PUP return to practice, they have three weeks before they must be either added to the roster or placed on injured reserve.
Even if Parsons practices next week, it would be highly unlikely he could play in the Week 9 game at the Patriots.
It would not have made sense for the Packers to open Parsons' practice window this week because with a Thursday game against the Panthers coming up, they will not hold any regular practices this week. After visiting New England on Nov. 8, the Packers play at home against the Vikings in Week 10 and then have their bye in Week 11, so it's possible the Packers will hold Parsons out of game action until the first post-bye game on Nov. 25 at the Rams.