Micah Parsons’ approximate return date from the season-ending ACL injury he sustained last year has just been revealed and it should be of interest to the Dallas Cowboys. According to Ian Rapoport, Parsons is currently on schedule to make his 2026 NFL debut in mid-October. That means his first game back could be against his former team, the Cowboys, in Week 6.
The Cowboys are scheduled to hit the road to take on the Green Bay Packers October 18, which coincides with Micah Parsons’ potential season debut according to the nine-month timetable it generally takes to fully rehabilitate from an ACL injury. Currently five months in his rehab process, he still has four months to go. That could mean he has the Week 6 matchup with the Cowboys circled on his calendar.
Parsons returning against the Cowboys makes sense for a number of reasons. Not only does it fit the timeline, but being able to make his season debut at home against his former team only adds to the intrigue about what should be an important NFC matchup. He’ll no doubt do everything in his power to be fully healed and ready to go by Week 6.
As a former Cowboys player who spent four years with the organization, we all know what kind of impact Micah Parsons can make on the field. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro has the ability to be a gamebreaker all by himself. And with the concern for Dallas’ bookend tackles (Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele), his potential return date in Week 6 should be somewhat concerning.
If Parsons does return mid-October against the Cowboys it would mark the second time he’s faced his former team since he was traded prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season to the Packers. That 2025 Week 4 matchup went into overtime, resulting in a 40-40 tie.
Micah Parsons, along with Myles Garrett who recently joined the LA Rams via trade, are just a couple of the really good pass rushers the Cowboys will face the season. How Dallas’ offensive line holds up in pass protection should be key in helping determine the team’s success or failure this year. Hopefully Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are up for the challenge.
