GREEN BAY – Micah Parsons hasn't been medically cleared yet to return to practice for the Packers, but progress has been made.
"As soon as they give us the green light, he'll be out there," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. "That hasn't happened yet, but I think we're getting closer."
Parsons remains on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) as he works his way back from last winter's reconstructive knee surgery. He tore his ACL in a mid-December game in Denver and needed his meniscus repaired as well.
LaFleur mentioned one part of the recovery process for Parsons is making sure his body isn't out of balance when he returns, meaning the leg of the surgically repaired knee needs to have equal strength and stamina to his other leg.
After a home game against Dallas this week, the Packers' next game is at Detroit, on Ford Field's artificial surface. LaFleur said that environment wouldn't necessarily preclude Parsons' return, but he's going to need some time to ramp up.
"First of all you've got to get him back on the practice field," he said. "There's a lot of testing that goes on before he gets medically cleared to get out there, and then I'm sure we're going to want to give him some time to get back to playing football. As you see with most guys that are coming off a major injury, it takes a little bit of time."
Elsewhere on the personnel and injury front, LaFleur had no update on running back Josh Jacobs' stint on the commissioner's exempt list, while Javon Hargrave's season-ending Achilles injury from Sunday's win over the Bears leaves the Packers a little thin at defensive tackle. Warren Brinson remains on injured reserve, and Jordon Riley is still on PUP.
LaFleur said the position group hopefully will get Anthony Campbell back this week after he missed two games with an ankle injury.
Receiver/returner Skyy Moore's ankle injury also could lead to a short-term absence, LaFleur suggested, but it's not expected to be a long-term issue. It's also possible fellow receiver Savion Williams could be activated this week in his return from IR.
Aside from the injury situation, another concern from Sunday's victory was rookie kicker Trey Smack missing three kicks – two field goals and a PAT. The sometimes tricky, swirling winds inside the Lambeau Field bowl appeared to have an effect.
LaFleur expects Smack to bounce back just fine.
"He was trying to overcompensate for the wind and that's just one of those things he's going to have to learn going through," he said. "It doesn't shake my confidence in him. I've seen him too much. I've watched him go out there and kick these almost 60-yard field goals.
"So we've got a ton of confidence in him and I think he's built the right way, in terms of his mindset. I think you'll see a guy that's pretty determined. I don't think he'll be shaken up by that at all."
