Micah Parsons will not play when the Green Bay Packers host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, as the star edge rusher continues his recovery from a torn ACL.
Parsons has not practiced this season and remains on the physically unable to perform list. The Packers are not expected to open his practice window this week, according to multiple reports, pushing any potential return deeper into October or into November.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that progress is being made, but caution remains the priority.
“There’s a chance Micah Parsons practices next week….The Packers aren’t gonna put him in harm’s way at all and the defense played well against the Chicago Bears,” Rapoport said.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur has stressed the medical steps still required.
“There’s a lot of testing that goes on before he gets medically cleared to get out there,” LaFleur said. “And then I’m sure we’re gonna want to give him some time to get back to playing football. As you see with most guys that are coming off a major injury, it takes a little bit of time.”
Parsons tore his left ACL and damaged his meniscus on Dec. 14, 2025, in a loss to the Denver Broncos. He underwent surgery on Dec. 29 and is now roughly 9½ months removed from the procedure. The Packers typically prefer a minimum of nine months for players returning from ACL surgery.
During training camp, Parsons described a Week 6 return against Dallas as “very realistic.” That timeline is no longer on the table. Speaking on his podcast this week, he said he wants every supporting issue addressed before he returns.
“If the Super Bowl was this week, I’m playing in the Super Bowl,” Parsons said. “But it’s just about me making sure I have all the small things fixed first.”
He added that rushing back risks an overcompensation injury elsewhere in the body.
In 14 games last season, his first with Green Bay after the late-offseason trade from Dallas, Parsons recorded 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 26 quarterback hits. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
Through five NFL seasons he has 65 sacks and 297 tackles in 77 games. He is the only player since 1982 to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons.
The Packers acquired him in exchange for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, then signed him to a four-year, $188 million extension.
Green Bay enters the game at 3-2 after a 31-7 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Cowboys arrive at 2-3 following a 24-16 home loss to Tampa Bay. Sunday’s meeting is the teams’ first since a 40-40 overtime tie in Dallas last September.
Without Parsons, the Packers have relied on Lukas Van Ness and others on the edge. The defense has also absorbed season-ending injuries to linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles) and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (Achilles).
LaFleur said the team is getting closer but will not activate Parsons until medical clearance and a gradual return to football shape are both complete. The earliest realistic window for game action now appears to be late October or early November.
Sunday night’s game at Lambeau Field will go on without him. The Packers will try to keep their recent momentum while the Cowboys look for their first road win of the season.
