Packers’ Parsons explains why he won’t return against Cowboys

An earlier report revealed that Green Bay Packers star pass-rusher Micah Parsons would not return from the torn ACL he suffered last December to play when the 3-2 Packers host the 2-3 Dallas Cowboys for a prime-time matchup this coming Sunday night. 

Back in the summer, Parsons
made it known that he wanted to be in the lineup for the Packers’ Week 6 game against the Cowboys, his former club. During the latest edition of his podcast, Parsons explained why he won’t be making his regular-season debut this coming weekend. 

Micah Parsons technically could play right now, but…

“The biggest thing that people worried about with me, they’re like, ‘Man, why ain’t he back yet?’ If the Super Bowl was this week, I’m playing in the Super Bowl. But it’s just about me making sure I have all the small things fixed first,” Parsons explained, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “What a lot of people don’t figure out is it’s not just the ACL. It’s like, why did the ACL happen? What was weak? Because it all works together. It’s a chain. And throughout the history of ACL, they notice if you come back early, there tends to be an overcompensation injury on the other side.”

Specifically, Parsons suffered his injury on Dec. 14, 2025, and then underwent surgery on Dec. 29 of last year. A typical recovery timeline from such a setback always suggested Parsons likely wouldn’t play before November, although Kansas City Chiefs
quarterback Patrick Mahomes made a mockery of such forecasts this year. 

“It’s like, what’s the point of getting me back for four weeks and then next thing you know, my groin [is] bothering me,” Parsons added. 

Micah Parsons reflects on possible revenge spot vs. Cowboys

As recently as Tuesday, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones hinted that he still has no regrets about trading Parsons to the Packers in August 2025 following a lengthy contract standoff involving Jones and Parsons’ camp. During the podcast, Parsons insisted that revenge wasn’t on his mind before it was determined that he wouldn’t play against Dallas. 

“So many people wanted me to be back for that game to make the game bigger than what it was,” Parsons said about possibly making his return to face the Cowboys. “It’s just another ‘Sunday Night Football’ game between two good teams. It’s not about me. I think that probably let people down. ‘Oh, Micah, he’s gonna want to be back for the Dallas game.’ No, I’m in that phase of life where I just want to be healthy again. That’s it.”