Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos, ending his season and complicating the team's playoff aspirations. The injury occurred in the third quarter amid a collapse that dropped Green Bay from the No. 2 seed to No. 7 in the NFC. This blow, combined with other NFC injuries, has opened up the conference race.
The Green Bay Packers' promising season took a devastating turn in Week 15 with a 34-26 defeat to the Denver Broncos, highlighted by a season-ending injury to star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons, who had been dominant with 12+ sacks in each of his first five NFL seasons, tore his ACL in the third quarter after the Packers led 23-14. The injury not only sidelined him but contributed to a defensive breakdown, as Denver scored touchdowns on all four red-zone trips inside Green Bay's 20-yard line.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love managed solid production but faltered in the fourth quarter with an interception, two failed fourth downs, and two sacks from the Broncos defense. Bo Nix shone for Denver, throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns against one of the league's top defenses, securing the Broncos' 12-2 record and the AFC's No. 1 seed. The Packers, now 9-4-1, fell out of first in the NFC North and face a tough Week 16 matchup at the Chicago Bears, where Parsons' absence could prove costly—Green Bay was 0-7 against 11+ win teams without him this season.
Parsons ranked second in the NFL in pressure rate (20%) and led the league since Week 10 (23%), including seven pressures against the Bears in Week 14. His loss, alongside wide receiver Christian Watson's chest injury, dims Green Bay's Super Bowl hopes, making them vulnerable in a wide-open NFC. The conference's top teams, including the Rams and Packers, have now suffered key injuries, benefiting contenders like the Seahawks, 49ers, and Bears.
