Micah Parsons was accused of faking an injury with the Dallas Cowboys prior to being traded last week, but the star pass-rusher is reportedly receiving treatment for a real ailment ahead of Week 1.
Parsons had not been practicing with the Cowboys in training camp before he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster deal on Thursday. He cited a back injury as the reason he was showing up to camp but not participating in on-field drills.
Parsons was also seeking a contract extension and publicly feuding with his former team at the time, so many assumed the back injury was a bogus excuse to avoid being fined. That apparently was not the case.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Parsons has an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back. The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end may need an epidural injection in order to be able to play in Green Bay’s Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Cowboys had also prescribed Parsons with medication to treat his back pain, according to Schefter.
Packers LB Micah Parsons has been dealing with an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back and he may take an epidural injection prior to Sunday’s game vs. the Lions if needed to help him play, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2025
Before trading Parsons last week, the Cowboys prescribed him a five-day plan… pic.twitter.com/8zXkNK45Ip
It is entirely possible that Parsons would have sat out of practice with the Cowboys even if there was no back issue, but we now know that the injury was not fabricated as part of a power play to force his way out of Dallas.
Parsons, 26, missed four games last season due to a high-ankle sprain. He still finished with 12 sacks, which was the lowest total of his four-year career.
Parsons received a 4-year, $188 million extension from the Packers after they acquired him last week. If his back injury is strictly an issue of pain management, he will likely try to play through it.
