“Cowboys Face 49ers Without Key Defender Parsons Despite Bye Week Rest”
The Dallas Cowboys have been missing key defensive players, with Sam Phillips out for the season due to a torn ACL, DeMarcus Lawrence on injured reserve with a foot injury, and Micah Parsons sidelined by a high ankle sprain.
There had been hopes that Parsons could return for Week 8, but that’s now looking unlikely. The Cowboys announced that Parsons missed consecutive practices this week, casting doubt on his availability for Sunday. He’s still recovering from the ankle injury that kept him out of Weeks 5 and 6. Although Parsons expressed his desire to play this week, he’s deferring to the team’s medical and coaching staff. While his presence would be valuable against the San Francisco 49ers, it’s wiser to let him fully recover rather than risk a more severe injury.
On a positive note, the Cowboys have designated defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to return, but his return won’t fully compensate for the loss of Lawrence and Parsons. Currently, the Cowboys hold a 3-3 record, trailing the first-place Washington Commanders at 5-2 and the Philadelphia Eagles at 4-2. Despite being in third place, a couple of wins could put them back in contention for the NFC East lead. However, to compete with the top teams in their division and conference, they’ll need their full roster healthy.
The problem is that even though the Cowboys had a bye week, the extra rest wasn’t enough for Parsons to be ready to return to the lineup. Despite missing their top defensive players, the Cowboys still hold a .500 record. The 49ers have also had their struggles, making Sunday an ideal opportunity for Dallas to defeat one of their biggest rivals.
Having Parsons would certainly help, but it looks like he needs more time to recover.