Is Micah Parsons playing today? Latest updates for Cowboys star

It's absurd, if not surprising, that national talking heads called the Dallas Cowboys' Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers unimpressive. While the Steelers are no heavyweights, the Cowboys overcome a slew of injuries, among other things, to win on the road.

The Cowboys defense played admirably given the circumstances, but perhaps one player's presence was missed more than Micah Parsons.

After Dallas' win in Week 4, Parsons was diagnosed with an upper ankle sprain. He was presented with a week-to-week schedule, which offered a glimmer of hope that he would return for Sunday's big NFC matchup against the Detroit Lions. Jerry Jones kept that door open during his radio appearance Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

Although Parsons' resilience is well documented, even he can't overcome a high ankle sprain in two short weeks. The Cowboys will be without their all-world pass rusher against the 3-1 Lions.

This certainly isn't ideal for the Cowboys' chances, but Week 8 always seemed like the most realistic return date for Parsons.

While Parsons removed his boots and the scooter he used to move around the facility earlier in the week, Patrik Walker of the team's official website noted that the star pass rusher walked “with a pronounced limp.”

Parsons was in training all week as a DNP but worked with the resistance bands. That's a strong indicator that he's on track to return for Dallas' first game after the bye: an away date with the San Francisco 49ers Football on Sunday evenings.

Despite missing last week's game, Parsons still ranks ninth among edge rushers with 21 pressures and is tied for seventh with five quarterback hits this season, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ranks fifth in pass rush win rate and ninth with 11 defensive stops, so he has made his presence felt during the run as well as wreaking havoc on opposing QBs.

With Parsons officially ruled out, the Cowboys will be without their top four defensive ends: Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence (on IR with a foot injury), Marshawn Kneeland (on IR with a knee injury) and Sam Williams (missing the season with a torn ACL). .

As if things couldn't get worse, linebacker and leading tackler Eric Kendricks won't play because of shoulder and calf injuries.

If there's one bright spot for Cowboys fans, it's that star cornerback DaRon Bland is trending to make his season debut. However, the team will be significantly undermanned against one of the best teams in the conference.

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