Micah Parsons injury: McCarthy gives positive update for Week 8

The Dallas Cowboys are still reeling from their Week 6 blowout loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions as they look to the end of the bye week this week. While there are many problems to address that need fixing, one thing that could at least aid the Cowboys a little as they prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 is getting some of their injured players back, especially their star edge rusher Micah Parsons. One extra week to get them recovered and ready is helpful, but is it enough?

Micah Parsons’ Week 8 status uncertain, but McCarthy provides some optimism

The Cowboys’ star edge rusher Micah Parsons went down with a high-ankle sprain during their Week 4 win over the New York Giants. Having Parsons out for any length of time is bad news for Dallas as he’s one of their best defenders, and they need all the help they can get on that side of the ball right now.

Initially, however, it didn’t seem like he’d miss too much time. We knew he’d have to sit out Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and likely Week 6 against the Lions. But it seemed like that plus a bye week would be more than enough time to get him ready to take the field again. And it might be, but it’s not a guarantee.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters last week that he was still not sure if Parsons would start against the Niners in Week 8, but that he had at least been making some progress, adding that the bye week was “a big week” in determining his recovery. Now that the bye week is over, McCarthy has given a tad more optimistic update.

“He’s doing good. Micah is making progress," McCarthy said.

It was a brief response, but Cowboys fans will be clinging to it as Parsons is their best defensive player and they’re in desperate need of both his talent and leadership.

“It‘s still in the air, obviously,” Parsons admitted himself. “It’s more than just me. I got to clear with [Cowboys’ trainer Britt Brown], the coaches, and the head coach. They want to make sure, because there’s so many more games left, that I come back at the best result. So, sometimes it’s not always the players.

We will definitely know more as practices get going this week, but with ankle injuries, it’s always tricky. If Parsons doesn’t play against the 49ers on Sunday, he would likely make his return in Week 9 when the Cowboys face the Atlanta Falcons on November 3.