Last season was kind of a mess in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys because of the distractions around the team.
By far the biggest one was the uncertainty with edge rusher Micah Parsons. That drama ended with him being traded to the Green Bay Packers in one of the most shocking trades in NFL history.
Parsons went on to have a great season with Green Bay until an ACL injury ended his year, and he will miss the first portion of the 2026 season. So why did that injury occur for him? Parsons has some reasons.
Micah Parsons Points Part of the Blame on What Happened With the Dallas Cowboys
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 29: Former Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons speaks to the media during a press conference, after being traded to the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field on August 29, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images)
While talking to the Packers media, Parsons opened up about the ACL injury and how recovery is going. He said part of the problem could be attributed to what happened in Dallas last year.
“You know, it’s hard to really think — I could just think of it was just accumulative things within my body, pushing through, the no camp, dealing with injuries throughout the season, and I just think my body just was overloaded and — which caused my knee to give out,” Parsons said via ProFootballTalk. “But, you know, I don’t really think why the situation happened. I think, based off of, you know, how I feel at this point, I feel like a much better player in the sense of how I feel. I feel more stable. I feel stronger.”
Parsons did not participate in training camp or preseason games for multiple reasons. He was dealing with some tightness and soreness in his back. There was also a contract dispute at the time, which led to the trade.
It was still a great season for Parsons, racking up 12.5 sacks in 14 games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro.
Dallas would end up missing the playoffs, but got Kenny Clark and two first-round picks as part of the trade. That helped them land edge rusher Malachi Lawrence late in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Micah Parsons Blames Cowboys Training Camp for His ACL Injury
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons said that part of the reason for his ACL injury in 2025 was not having training camp with the Dallas Cowboys.
There were more problems than just Parsons saying that no camp affected his injury. Some believe he used the back issues as an excuse not to practice since he didn’t have his new contract.
Dallas handled that situation the best that they could. While the Cowboys missed the postseason, it has given them the opportunity to set the franchise’s future foundation up for success.
Because of that trade, the Cowboys have gotten younger and better on defense. They didn’t give Parsons the money he wanted, so they used that money to add other pieces to the team.
Parsons is expecting to be ready to go by Week 6 against the Cowboys. The Packers and Cowboys tied the first time Parsons met his old team last season. How will the second rematch go for him and Dallas?
Ex-Cowboys Star Micah Parsons Assigned Blame for ACL Injury