Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons has stated that a return to action in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, the team that previously traded him, is "very realistic." The game is scheduled for October 11.

Parsons is currently recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus sustained late last season. This injury caused him to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Should he remain on the PUP list at the start of the regular season, he would miss the Packers' initial four games.

While updated league rules permit players on the PUP list to practice after two regular-season weeks, the Packers' team history suggests a preference for a nine-month recovery period post-surgery before clearing players for practice, which would indicate a return to practice in late September. Parsons indicated that he and the medical staff are working towards a point where he feels great and is cleared to play.

"Is it possible? Yes. I wouldn’t say it’s not possible. But, at the same time, in these next 10, 12 weeks from now on, we’ve got to do our part to make it possible. It’s not off the board, but we’ve got to put the work in," Parsons said Tuesday.

Parsons has resumed straight-line running but still needs to address directional changes as part of his rehabilitation. Before his injury last season, the Packers had a 9-3-1 record and Parsons recorded 12.5 sacks and 64 quarterback pressures. The team did not win a game after Parsons' season-ending injury.

Addressing potential concerns about his recovery, Parsons urged focus on his performance upon returning. "People are worried about the knee; they should be worried about how I'm going to play when I get back," he said. "The anger, the frustration, the things that I'm going to have to let out because of how long it's been since I played. So I think that's what people should really worry about."

Parsons attributed his injury to physical overload and noted that the recovery process has provided an opportunity for improvement. "I feel more stable. I feel stronger. I probably was blind to a lot of things that I probably should have been working on that I got a chance to correct and get stronger during this process," he added.

The Packers' season begins on September 13 against the Minnesota Vikings.