It remains unclear if Micah Parsons would be willing to end his holdout and play in Week 1, but the Dallas Cowboys are confident that they know the answer.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday he expects Parsons to suit up in Week 1 with or without a new contract.
“I feel good that Micah will be out there against the Philadelphia Eagles,” Schottenheimer told reporters, via Todd Archer of ESPN.
It is unclear if Schottenheimer’s comment is just a public show of confidence or if the team actually knows something. Parsons has yet to take part in training camp as he seeks a new contract, and has gone as far as to request a trade as long as the Cowboys do not give it to him.
Parsons’ lack of camp activity raises the question of whether he will be in playing shape for the Sept. 4 opener in Philadelphia. While Parsons did report, he has not been taking part in drills. We also do not know for sure if Parsons would even be willing to play out the final year of his rookie deal.
The Cowboys have yet to budge on offering Parsons what he wants, and things have quickly turned sour between the two parties. It has led some to predict that Parsons will not even be a Cowboy long-term, and that the bridges have been burned between the two sides. In that context, it is very fair to wonder if Parsons has any plans to play at all.
Parsons, 26, has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since Dallas drafted him in 2021. He has 52.5 sacks through his first 63 games, including 12 in 13 games in 2024.