Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Micah Parsons is expected to miss some time.

Head coach Mike McCarthy mentioned on Monday that Parsons “will be challenged to play this week” due to an ankle sprain, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

On Monday, Parsons was seen at the Cowboys’ facility wearing a walking boot and using a mobility scooter, as reported by Jon Machota of The Athletic.

The standout pass rusher expressed feelings of disappointment regarding his injury.

“I feel like I’m letting people down,” Parsons stated. “I kind of thought of myself as invincible for a while.

It’s humbling… I’m trying to get back as fast as possible.”Missing games is unusual for Parsons.

The former Penn State star has only sat out one game in his NFL career, which was during his rookie season in 2021 due to COVID protocols.

Regarding his potential return, it may be wise for the Cowboys to hold him out until after their Week 7 bye, allowing him four weeks to recover and resulting in missing only two games.

However, if he feels well, he could return as early as Week 6 against the Lions.

This season, Parsons hasn’t matched his usual level of production in terms of statistics, recording only one sack and two tackles for loss over four games.

This performance is significantly below his pace of 40.5 sacks in his first 50 career games. Nevertheless, his influence on opposing offenses and their strategies is undeniable.

When Parsons is on the field, offensive coordinators must adjust their game plans to account for him, and losing such a crucial defensive player is a significant setback.

The Cowboys are also facing a loss with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence sidelined due to a foot injury, which means they could be without their top two pass rushers moving forward.