Cowboys' Mike McCarthy remains firm with Micah Parsons' injury return
10/31/2024 02:06 PM
The Dallas Cowboys have had a rough start to the 2024 NFL season. Dallas is 3-4 heading into Week 9 and is on the outside looking in at a trip to the postseason. The Cowboys have lost two games in a row and now have to face a frisky Falcons team in Week 9. Unfortunately, it seems like they may be without their best defensive player for yet another week.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy maintained his firm stance on when linebacker Micah Parsons will return from injury.
"Until they clear the return-to-play with Britt (Brown), I really don't even entertain that thought. So he's not quite there yet,” McCarthy said on Thursday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.
McCarthy had previously said on Wednesday that Parsons’ high-ankle sprain is improving, but but that he was not ready to return to practice.
"He’s making gains each week, he's just not ready to get in the practice format," McCarthy said on Wednesday.
The Cowboys have not had the defense we’ve come to expect from them in 2024. Part of the problem is injuries. Parsons joins DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, and DaRon Bland on a list of important Cowboys defenders who have missed significant time with injuries. Thankfully, the Cowboys recently activated DaRon Bland off injured reserve.
Can the Cowboys rescue their season without Micah Parsons on defense?
Cowboys fans are starting to get worried about 2024 being a lost season for Dallas.
Getting a healthy Micah Parsons back could be the boost that the Cowboys need to turn things around. Unfortunately, it may be too little too late.
Even if Parsons returned in Week 10, he likely wouldn’t be his same dominant self right away. He would probably need a few weeks to get back into top shape and find his rhythm again. The problem is that Dallas simply cannot wait that long for a boost on defense.
The Cowboys are firmly on the outside of the NFC playoff picture right now. They are behind other wild card hopefuls like Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and every team in the NFC North. A path to the postseason simply isn’t there unless a ton of things break in favor of the Cowboys.
There’s also the Parsons contract angle to consider too. Parsons is the last elite talent on the team who has yet to be locked up with a long-term extension. It would not be a smart career move for Parsons to return to the field too quickly and risk another injury so close to his first big payday.
Cowboys fans have very little to cheer about this season, and it seems unlikely that they’ll go on a magical run in 2024. It will be interesting to see how extensively Dallas makes changes during the offseason.
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