Will Micah Parsons play in the Packers Week 1 game vs Lions?

Green Bay fans barely had time to process the blockbuster deal that brought Micah Parsons to the Packers before the next question arose: will he suit up for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions?

When to expect Parsons on the field for the Pack

The trade, finalized Thursday, sent two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Parsons, followed quickly by a record-setting four-year, $188 million extension. The deal made Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, locking him in as the centerpiece of Green Bay’s defense for years to come.

But after a training camp hold-in and lingering back tightness, concerns remain about how quickly Parsons can get on the field.

Parsons, however, is confident.

“I think physically, you know, I’m great,” Parsons said on Friday. “I think I can contribute a lot. We already talked about how we can ramp things up and get me into a flow where they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable.”

He added bluntly:

“They didn’t give up what they gave up for me to sit on the sidelines.”

Parsons passed his physical in Green Bay, officially signed his deal, and even revealed his new jersey number: No. 1 - the first Packer to wear it since Curly Lambeau in 1925-26. The symbolism isn’t lost on him, as he steps into a franchise still chasing its first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.

The Packers’ odds of making it back to the big game shifted immediately after the trade, moving from +2000 to +1400 on ESPN BET - now the sixth-best in the NFL.

Still, the September 7 primetime opener against Detroit is coming up fast. Parsons admitted he pushed his agent, David Mulugheta, to get a deal finalized before the season because he didn’t want to miss time. And though he sat out practices in Dallas, he insists his back won’t be an issue moving forward.

“I haven’t not played football this long since I was in seventh grade,” Parsons said. “I was worried about that, but now that’s resolved.”

For Green Bay, the timing couldn’t be better. The Packers face the defending NFC North champion Lions in Week 1, and dropping their newly-minted defensive superstar into the rivalry right away would be a statement.

If Parsons has his way, that statement will come on opening night.

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