Cleary was sin-binned in the Panthers' 26-12 trial loss to Wests Tigers on Friday after collecting teenage winger Heamasi Makasini flush on the jaw.
On Saturday, the NRL's match review committee hit the halfback with a grade two dangerous contact charge.
Cleary would miss just two games if he takes the early guilty plea, meaning he would sit out Penrith's season opener against Brisbane and their round two meeting with Cronulla.
In the unlikely event he challenges the decision and then loses, Cleary would face an additional one-game suspension.
Jack Cogger, who did not play Friday's trial against the Tigers with a niggle, looms as the likeliest man to replace Cleary.
Penrith are considered strong favourites for the NRL premiership once more but can ill afford to start 2026 slowly.
The Panthers were bottom after 12 rounds last year and while they recovered to make the top eight, they ran out of gas and fell to the Broncos in a preliminary final loss which ended their run of four-straight titles.
Penrith face five teams who finished 2025 in the top eight across the opening six rounds.
In news from Friday's other trial, Dolphins prop Francis Molo was left facing a three-match ban for a high shot on Warriors front-rower Jackson Ford.
Molo was charged for two separate hits on Ford, the second set to rule him out of the Dolphins' opening three fixtures against South Sydney, the Gold Coast and Cronulla.
Ford was charged for a hip-drop tackle on Selwyn Cobbo but will escape a ban if he agrees to take a $3000 fine.
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