Micah Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain during the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-15 win against the New York Giants in Week 4. He has not played since then and has been ruled out for the upcoming Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Parsons, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason. However, the franchise prioritized extending CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott’s contract. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh recently said that the Cowboys star should not play again this season even if he gets healthy.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh Advises Micah Parsons Against Playing
In a recent appearance on Fox Sports’ “The Facility,” Houshmandzadeh said that the Cowboys’ season is already over. He added that Parsons should not take a risk as another injury could have a major effect on contract negotiations.
“Their season is done. There’s nobody they can go get that’s gonna save that,” Houshmandzadeh said. “They had DeMarcus Lawrence, they had Micah Parsons to start the season, and what happened? They had these dudes.
“If I’m Micah Parsons, you think I’m playing another snap this season? I’m done … I had a high ankle sprain; that’s your warning. [Brandon Aiyuk] was your example. Like, you can’t risk it. If you’re not going to pay me what I’ve earned, why will I risk it? And we’re basically playing for nothing. … This is one of the worst Cowboys teams that we’ve seen.”
.@housh84 believes Micah Parsons should sit out amidst the Cowboys' lackluster season: pic.twitter.com/eKQmKrnPSw
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) November 1, 2024
Aiyuk is already out for the season due to an ACL injury, but fortunately for him, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers before he stepped foot on the field.
Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the league and will likely exceed Nick Bosa’s $34 million annual salary with his new contract. For that to be possible, he needs to stay healthy. Jerry Jones has shown over the years that he is a tough negotiator, no matter how good the player is.
Sitting out for the season might set a bad example for Parsons, but if he cares about the financial aspect, he needs to look after himself first, as the team could trade him away whenever they want. Ultimately, it’s all business, and the players should not be looked at differently if they make such decisions.
For example, the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t offer Tee Higgins an extension, and he has missed multiple games due to injuries this season. He will be a free agent after this season, and his value around the league has certainly decreased compared to before the season started.
Cowboys Have a Tough Set of Fixtures Coming Up
The Cowboys are a three-point underdog for their Week 9 game against the Falcons. Given that Parsons, DaRon Bland, and DeMarcus Lawrence are all out for this game and Trevon Diggs is questionable, it’s hard to envision the Cowboys’ defense stopping the high-flying Falcons offense.
If the Cowboys lose on Sunday, they’ll be 3-5 on the season. They have a set of tough fixtures coming up. Dallas has a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, followed by another home game against the Houston Texans and a Week 12 trip to face the Washington Commanders in D.C.
Based on how all of these teams have played this season, it could be said that Dallas is in danger of falling to 3-8. It will be interesting to see if a loss against the Falcons will force the Cowboys to trade away some of their players, as a fifth loss would diminish their chances of making the playoffs.