Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game because of a high ankle sprain, coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday.
Parsons has not practiced since injuring his ankle in the fourth quarter of the 20-15 win over the host New York Giants on Sept. 26.
The Cowboys (3-4), who visit the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) on Sunday, did not place Parsons on injured reserve, which would have required missing at least four games.
Dallas has been waiting for Parsons to clear the ramp-up process through Britt Brown, the team’s associate athletic trainer and director of rehabilitation.
“(Parsons is) here. He’s in the meetings. Until they clear the return to play with Britt, I really don’t even entertain that thought,” McCarthy said Thursday. “So, he’s not quite there yet.”
Parsons, 25, was a two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection with 40.5 sacks over his first three seasons from 2021-23. He has 14 tackles and one sack in four starts this season.
“He’s an impact player,” McCarthy said on Wednesday. “Where he is in the rehab, he’s making gains each week. He’s been in every day. He’s just not ready to get into the practice format. But yeah, definitely missed him.”
The coach said Parsons would be in the rehab group at practice on Thursday and likely will be joined by cornerback Trevon Diggs, who missed practice on Wednesday with a calf injury.
