Micah Parsons will remain sidelined when the Green Bay Packers face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, choosing a measured recovery from his ACL injury over an emotional return against the team he left.
The Packers edge rusher is eligible to resume practicing and playing, but he has not yet reached the point where he believes he can perform without concern about a setback. Parsons said the decision is centered on completing every part of his rehabilitation, not simply clearing the medical timeline for an ACL return.
Health remains the priority
Parsons said he would play if the Super Bowl were being held this week, but stressed that the regular-season calendar does not justify skipping the final details of his recovery.
“People keep asking why I’m not back yet,” Parsons said on his podcast. “If this were the Super Bowl, I’d be out there. But I have to make sure all the little things are corrected first.”
- During the offseason, Parsons made clear that he would not be ready for the start of the season.
- Many expected the Week 6 meeting with Dallas to become his target date after his trade from the Cowboys following unsuccessful contract negotiations.
- Despite being cleared to progress toward football activity, Parsons and Green Bay have continued his rehabilitation plan.
- He will not play Sunday night against Dallas, with his focus remaining on a full return later in the season.
Parsons said the concern extends beyond the reconstructed ACL itself. He and the Packers are evaluating the weaknesses or imbalances that contributed to the injury, along with the risk of compensating elsewhere in his body after returning too soon.
“It is not only about the ACL,” Parsons said. “You have to ask what led to it and what was not strong enough, because the whole body is connected. Players who come back early can wind up hurting something on the other side.”
He pointed to the broader pattern of players dealing with soft-tissue, core and ankle problems after returning from significant injuries. In his view, rushing back for a limited stretch of games would make little sense if it creates a groin or core issue that causes another absence.
“The goal is to get every part of this right,” Parsons said.
No revenge angle for Dallas matchup
The Cowboys game carried obvious significance because Parsons was traded after his contract situation in Dallas deteriorated. But he said the anticipated revenge narrative has not influenced his timetable.
“A lot of people wanted me available for that game to make it a bigger story,” Parsons said. “It is another Sunday Night Football game with two good teams. It is not about me.”
Parsons added that he is no longer focused on the team he departed or on any perceived need to settle a score. His objective is simply to regain full confidence in both knees and return to the field able to play the explosive style that has made him one of the league’s premier pass rushers.
For Green Bay, that means patience now in hopes of having Parsons fully healthy for the stretch run rather than bringing him back before his body is ready.
