After suffering a high-ankle sprain in Thursday’s Week 4 win, the Dallas Cowboys are preparing to play the Pittsburgh Steelers without star LB Micah Parsons. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the widely held belief during a Monday meeting with reporters.
Parsons’ odds of facing the Steelers just 10 days after his ankle sprain have never been good and the expectation since last Friday is that he would miss at least one game. It’s a huge loss for the Cowboys’ defense and not the only one they’re dealing with up front. DE DeMarcus Lawrence won’t play against Pittsburgh due to a foot injury that could require a trip to injured reserve.
Parsons suffered the injury late in the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants. While he was able to walk off the field, a cart ushered him back to the locker room. Reportedly, both players got around Monday on motorized scooters. Parsons told reporters he hasn’t officially been ruled out but is expecting to miss time.
Combined, Parsons and Lawrence are two of the Cowboys’ best players on defense. Parsons has been a perennial DPOY candidate since being drafted in 2021 and finished third in league voting last year behind winner Myles Garrett and runner-up T.J. Watt. With a shaky front seven that’s struggled to play the run, Dallas’ pass rush will be just as impacted Sunday night in Pittsburgh. Through the first four games, Lawrence and Parsons combined for exactly half of the team’s sacks (four of eight) and half the team’s QB hits (11 of 22).
Dallas ranks 26th in scoring defense and is a bottom-third rushing defense in most categories, including allowing a 31st-ranked eight rushing scores this season. It’s welcome news for a Pittsburgh Steelers rushing attack struggling to find its footing and an offensive line dealing with more injuries, reportedly losing OG James Daniels for the season due to a torn Achilles. They are expected to get back veteran OG Isaac Seumalo, who has missed the first four games with a strained pectoral muscle.
Dallas will release its first injury report Wednesday. It’s safe to say that neither Parsons nor Lawrence will be practicing.
