The Dallas Cowboys take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, and plenty of eyes were on Micah Parsons getting a second crack at his former team. The first one was memorable, with the Cowboys and Packers playing to a 40-40 tie in 2025.

However, the latest injury update out of Green Bay suggests the Parsons vs. Dallas rematch may have to wait another year.

What Adam Schefter is reporting on Micah Parsons

ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the latest on Parsons’ status ahead of Sunday’s matchup:

“Packers are not anticipating that their standout pass rusher Mike Parsons will return to practice this week as Green Bay prepares for Sunday night’s game versus Dallas Cowboys. There still is uncertainty about exactly when Parsons will return from his knee injury, but the hope still remains it will be this month.”

To be fair, that alone does not rule Parsons out for Sunday night. But I find it hard to believe the Packers would risk a player they’ve invested so much in just to have him suit up against the Cowboys without practicing.

Dallas has one of the best offenses in the NFL, and an elite pass rusher would go a long way toward slowing down quarterback Dak Prescott. The Packers would love to have him. But skipping practice all week is a big red flag for his availability.

The wording of Schefter’s report matters too. If the hope is for Parsons to return at some point in October, it doesn’t sound like Sunday against the Cowboys is the target date.

For context, Parsons suffered a torn ACL and meniscus damage in his left knee on Dec. 14, 2025, during a game against the Denver Broncos. It was a non-contact injury, which came after the Cowboys traded him in 2025. Green Bay placed him on the PUP list to start the season, and he remains sidelined as he continues his rehab.

“Because he repaired his meniscus in addition to the torn ACL, the Packers have a strict nine-month no-football rule, which includes practice,” says my colleague Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports Green Bay. “Now, those nine months have passed.

“But because Parsons is not a light player, the Packers will be extra cautious. He’s under contract through 2029, and they won’t risk his long-term outlook because of a few games. Especially because they had the bad experience with Rashan Gary, who was never the same after his own ACL injury.

“The Packers will eventually open Parsons’ 21-day practice window, which could potentially happen later this month, but the player should take full advantage of that window as a ramp-up period before actually getting back on the field.”

Why this is a relief for the Cowboys

For Dallas, Parsons’ likely absence is a significant relief.

Parsons is a problem to block, and the Cowboys know that better than anyone after watching him wreck opposing offenses early in his career. Even in that 2025 matchup, Parsons consistently got pressure on Prescott. It turned into a battle between Parsons’ pass rush and Prescott getting the ball out quickly. Parsons himself credited the Cowboys quarterback for keeping him from making a bigger impact beyond the pressures.

Without him, Green Bay’s pass rush looks a lot more ordinary. The Packers rank 21st in pressure rate and sit right around league average in blitz rate. Getting Parsons back would have given them a major boost in getting after the quarterback.

That matters for the Cowboys, who need to prove they can handle the blitz. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers exposed their scheme and pass protection on Thursday Night Football, and Green Bay will surely study that tape.

Close matchup on deck in Green Bay

This one has the makings of a tight game. The Packers are 1.5-point home favorites, which isn’t much of a cushion.

Watching Prescott go up against Parsons again would have been fun from a football perspective. If you ask me, though, that showdown is unlikely to happen Sunday night.

For Dallas, the bigger question is whether the offensive line can bounce back after a rough showing against Tampa Bay, with or without Parsons on the other side of the ball.