Micah Parsons injury update has Cowboys fans screaming for the team to tank the season

The Dallas Cowboys won't have superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons at their disposal for a fourth straight contest in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have officially ruled out Parsons and All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland for their upcoming showdown with the Falcons. The standout sack artist has been tending to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 4, yet he doesn't seem close to returning.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy recently told reporters that Parsons has to meet a "threshold of return to play." Since then, not much has changed, indicating the latter hasn't made notable strides in his recovery.

Considering Dallas didn't place Parsons on injured reserve (IR), they presumably didn't anticipate him missing this many games. Meanwhile, sitting at 3-4 and in third place in the NFC East, the team has underachieved mightily relative to expectations thus far in 2024. With the status of their franchise pass rusher and the season in flux, Cowboys Nation is all but ready to throw in the towel.

Micah Parsons injury update has Cowboys fans screaming for the team to tank the season

According to The Athletic's projections ($), the Cowboys have a 17 percent chance of making the playoffs. Given the slim odds, Dallas may be better suited to take a more forward-thinking approach for the remainder of the year. Rather than salvage the campaign, fans probably wouldn't mind shutting down Parsons and improving their chances of landing a high draft pick this offseason.

Dallas trails the Philadelphia Eagles by two games in the divisional and Wild Card standings. They will have their hands full if they want to right the ship, especially considering other NFC squads are jostling for the postseason. However, the longtime rivals meet in Week 10 and their clash will undoubtedly have monumental ramifications on their respective rest-of-season outlooks. Nonetheless, it might not be as pivotal a matchup if the Cowboys can't get by the Falcons sans Parsons.

Parsons' unfortunate injury has put Dallas' defense between a rock and a hard place. Moreover, Bland's foot issue has lingered longer than expected, suggesting the playmaking corner ostensibly endured a setback. With that in mind, it may be time for the Cowboys to wave the white flag on this demonstrably lost season.