Brian Schottenheimer Issues Urgent Warning: Why Micah Parsons Must Gear Up for Season Immediately

It has been ugly at times. It’s going to reach critical mass soon, because Parsons can’t simply show up and play on September 4 without any preparation to do so.

With the season opener just around the corner—only nine days out—the Cowboys are gearing up to clash with the Eagles, but an unsettling question lingers: will linebacker Micah Parsons take the field? The clock is tickin’, and for Parsons to have any shot at game-day readiness, he absolutely must start practicing sooner rather than later. Coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledges the uphill battle ahead, emphasizing a careful ramp-up strategy to get Parsons back into the thick of things—no “instant full-throttle” plays here, but the disruptive force Parsons is known for could still make a big impact. The real challenge, though, lies in getting Parsons back on the practice field, especially with the Cowboys considering disciplinary actions if he doesn’t comply. It’s a tangled web—Parsons stands firm on his trade request while the Cowboys hold their ground on last March’s agreement. The drama has been far from pretty, and the situation edges closer to a breaking point; after all, Parsons can’t just waltz in on September 4, ready to blitz without proper prep. This saga is heating up, and every day counts. LEARN MOREFirst, they have to get him to practice. The Cowboys could inform Parsons that they believe he’s healthy, and that he faces discipline for conduct detrimental to the team if he continues to fail to practice.“At the end of the day as soon as he can get out there, that’s great, but again there will be a ramp-up plan for him,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday, via Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “And when he lines up out there to play, do I think he would play 75 plays and every play? Probably not. I don’t think that that’s real. But I do think that he can be very disruptive like we all know.”Parsons has shown no inclination to relent in his position that he wants to be traded. The Cowboys have shown no inclination to abandon the position that he agreed to a deal in March, without the involvement of his agent.In nine days, the Cowboys face the Eagles in the first game of the 2025 regular season. It remains to be seen whether linebacker Micah Parsons will play.

“Every day that he can get out there and get reps would be great,” Schottenheimer added. “But I do think very strongly that him being around has helped him. Doing some of the walk-throughs and things like that, it does help. There’s communication, there’s signals that come from the sideline, there’s communication from player to player that he’s getting all those things. . . . But the best way to get better at football is to play football, so I would say as soon as possible would be the desired effect.”To have any chance to be ready to go, he needs to start practicing soon. It will be important for the Cowboys to get him ready to go.