The Dallas Cowboys received more devastating injury news this week as second-year tight end John Stephens Jr. suffered a torn ACL in Wednesday's practice. Just as notable, though, is that Micah Parsons did not practice all week as he looks to return from a high-ankle sprain.
Parsons was listed as a DNP on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Head coach Mike McCarthy stated earlier in the week that Parsons has not passed the return to play threshold. Essentially, Parsons had to practice in some capacity (with or without pads) by Saturday to be able to play against the San Francisco 49ers.
Well, the verdict is in, Cowboys fans. Parsons has not cleared the return to play threshold and therefore will NOT make his long-awaited return Sunday night.
Cowboys star Micah Parsons won't play vs. 49ers in Week 8
The Week 8 matchup versus the 49ers was circled as Parsons' likely return date when he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain four weeks ago. He missed games against the Steelers and Lions - the first games he's missed due to injury in his career - then got an extra week of rest during the bye week.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter had the following to say about Parsons after he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday:
"Once again, Cowboys DE Micah Parsons did not practice Thursday due to his ankle injury, making it unlikely he’ll be able to recover in time for Sunday night’s game vs. the 49ers," Schefter posted on X.
Parsons has been working around the lock to return for this game. He remained at the Cowboys' facility during the bye to continue his rehab. Given the lingering and fickle nature of high-ankle sprains, though, it's not a huge surprise it hasn't fully healed.
While Parsons didn't suffer a severe high-ankle sprain, even garden variety ones generally require four-to-six weeks of recovery. Parsons is on week four of that timetable, so he seemingly isn't far off from returning.
As badly as the Cowboys need him out there - their pass rush has disappeared since he got injured - they need a fully-functioning Parsons. While Parsons at less than 100% is better than most pass rushers, having him healthy for the rest of the season is ultimately the most important thing.
One more week of rest should do the trick, but the Cowboys will have their work cut out to topple the 49ers without their superstar.