Parsons 'ramping up,' it's Pack's call on playing

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Three practices in, Micah Parsons has not experienced any setbacks with his back injury but still needs to clear a few hurdles before it's a given that he will make his Green Bay Packers debut in Sunday's season opener against the Detroit Lions.

Parsons was healthy enough to pass his physical to complete the trade from the Cowboys last week but has continued the treatments he began in Dallas.

"I'm still ramping up," Parsons said after Thursday's practice. "It's a process of getting ready for football. Being out for six months, obviously, going through the tightness, the soreness, but I just got plenty of faith that this great training staff and the coaches are slowly getting me the plays and getting me things that I need if we decide to give me the green light out there. It's completely up to the coaches, though."

One key was getting through Wednesday's full-pads practice, which was the first time Parsons was in pads since last season.

"I think he was able to do what we had planned for him today," coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday. "So, he's doing a good job with that."

Parsons was open to taking an injection to help his back, if necessary.

"We're just going to see about that," Parsons said. "Right now, we just took the steroid pack that I got from the Cowboys last week, and we started that last week while I was getting treatment there. ... We finished the pack and hopefully that works plus treatment to get me back to 100 [percent]."

Though Parsons is new to the Packers, he sounded as if he is fitting right in, especially when it comes to the NFC North rivalries.

"I felt like Dallas and Detroit already had a rivalry," Parsons said. "I already got that rivalry built up where I'm excited to play them. I never liked Detroit. I never liked them. Even when I was in Dallas, it's always a heavyweight fight, every time they came in. ... I'm excited to play them, I'm very excited, and it's going to go all 12, 15 rounds."

Parsons also praised defensive end Lukas Van Ness, who likely would have been a starter if Parsons had not been acquired, and his fellow linemen.

"I really like how he plays," Parsons said. "He plays that run well, he gets up vertical really well. I know I can count on him for a bull rush. Just understanding and learning people's play styles, I really like how everyone's been practicing. Even some of the interior guys, even though they lost Kenny [Clark], you can tell he really helped them guys a lot.

"I told them I've never been around a group full of 3-techs that can rush and play the run like this, and it's a bunch of young guys. So, I'm extremely excited about the room, the linebacker room, even the young DB corps they got back there. I think it's going to be an exciting year."

Parsons also was impressed with how many players he saw in the team facility Tuesday, the players' day off.

"I came in Tuesday for treatment, and I saw like almost every guy in the locker room," Parsons said. "I said, 'This is the first time I've ever seen this.' And that just shows how much these guys want to be here."

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said his mind started going "100 miles an hour" thinking of ways he can use Parsons, though the DC wouldn't offer any clues as what he has planned for him right away.

But quarterback Jordan Love offered his vision for Parsons, right down to Sunday's player introductions. He said he wants the defensive players to be introduced with Parsons coming out of the tunnel last.

"Crowd's going to go crazy, I already see it," Love said. "I already see it. Defense go out there first. Get a three-and-out. Micah get a sack on third down. I already see it. I already see it."

Said Parsons: "I haven't envisioned that yet, but I love a prophet. As long as he's praying and praying right, I'll take that prophecy, for sure. I'll take it."