The Dallas Cowboys face a critical situation with linebacker Micah Parsons as they prepare for the September 4th regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Parsons’ availability for the game remains uncertain due to his ongoing absence from practice.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer emphasized the need for Parsons to begin practicing soon to have any chance of playing, stating, “At the end of the day as soon as he can get out there, that’s great, but again there will be a ramp-up plan for him.” He added, ”And when he lines up out there to play, do I think he would play 75 plays and every play? Probably not.I don’t think that that’s real. But I do think that he can be very disruptive like we all know.”
The Cowboys are considering informing Parsons that continued absence from practice could result in disciplinary action for conduct detrimental to the team. Schottenheimer noted the value of Parsons’ current participation in walk-throughs,stating,”Every day that he can get out there and get reps would be great…But I do think very strongly that him being around has helped him. Doing some of the walk-throughs and things like that,it does help. There’s dialog, there’s signals that come from the sideline, there’s communication from player to player that he’s getting all those things. . . . But the best way to get better at football is to play football, so I would say as soon as possible would be the desired affect.”
The situation stems from Parsons’ desire to be traded, a position he has not retracted. The Cowboys maintain that Parsons agreed to a contract extension in March without the involvement of his agent. The impasse is reaching a critical point, as Parsons cannot realistically play in the season opener without prior planning.
The contract discussions reportedly took place in March, leading to an agreement Parsons now disputes. The Cowboys beleive they have a binding agreement, while Parsons seeks a trade to a new team.
The Cowboys and Parsons are at odds over the validity of the March agreement, creating a tense situation as the season approaches. The team faces a decision on how to handle Parsons’ continued absence and his trade request.
