Jeff Hafley hoping to avoid Micah Parsons by playing Packers early in 2026 season

The Green Bay Packers will host former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley during the regular season in 2026, but the new Miami Dolphins head coach is hoping to catch the Packers early in the season -- maybe even in Week 1 -- to potentially avoid facing his best former player. Hafley's explanation for wanting the Packers to open the season was a simple and smart one. “One of my favorite guys might not be ready to play by then," Hafley said on Tuesday from the league's annual meeting in Phoenix, per Ryan Wood of PackersNews.

com . That "guy" is Micah Parsons, a first-team All-Pro in 2025 who may miss the first part of the 2026 season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 15 of last season. Under Hafley, Parsons produced 12.

5 sacks and was leading the NFL in pressures when he was injured in Denver -- a loss that sent the Packers' season into a tailspin. "Micah, I hope you're ready to play Week 1, I really do. Knowing Micah, he probably will," Hafley said afterwards.

While ruling out an elite athlete like Parsons from making a superhuman recovery from a major injury is probably unwise, the Packers are almost certain to safeguard one of their best and most highly paid players -- and the longer he recovers, the less chance he has of suffering a reinjury. It's likely Parsons will begin the regular season on the PUP list, which would mean missing the first four games. Hafley also said he's sticking to his bold prediction that Parsons will return in 2026 and break the NFL's single season sack record, currently held by Myles Garrett at 23.