Micah Parsons’ Highly-Anticipated Packers Debut Likely to Be Delayed Following Back Injury Concerns

Owner Jerry Jones subsequently traded the All-Pro edge rusher to the Packers, and now it appears there are genuine concerns surrounding Parsons’ back. ESPN’s Adam Schefter then broke the news that Packers fans dreaded.

Micah Parsons has been dealing with an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back, and he may take an epidural injection prior to Sunday’s game vs. the Lions if needed to help him play, per sources.

The Cowboys prescribed the 26-year-old “a five-day plan of an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid, prednisone, to help him recover from back tightness. They also had him on a physical therapy program.”

Famed doctor of sports medicine, Jesse Morse, dove deeper into the topic by breaking down the entire scenario. Morse tweeted that the stiffness in Parsons’s back is generated due to the amount of force he uses while rushing quarterbacks.

Epidurals, although they can help ease the pain, have temporary effects that start to wear off very quickly. Morse suggested that stem cell treatment could help Parsons recover faster.

Parsons would benefit from some really good physical therapy, OMM, and eventually restrengthening the individual lumbar ligaments with stem cells. At the end of the day this injury is almost always due to a combination of multiple ligaments being weaker or injured, leading to this problem.

Parsons is doing everything in his power to be ready for the Lions fixture.

We [Parsons and Doctors] already talked about how we can ramp things up and get me into a flow where they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable… They didn’t give up what they gave up for me to sit on the sidelines and make this big a risk and change for me to do that, so I’m going to give them my all.

Micah Parsons said (H/T: Associated Press)

The Packers need Micah Parsons to start against the Lions

The Packers could use a player like Parsons on the defense. Last year, the Packers lost both fixtures against the Detroit Lions, en route to finishing third with an 11-6 record. A healthy Parsons has racked up over 52.2 sacks since entering the league and is only the second player since the Packers’ Reggie White to accumulate 12+ sacks in each of his first four seasons.

Of course, the Packers lost a key member in Kenny Clark to the Cowboys, but Parsons is considered a generational talent. His former Penn State teammate and the Packers’ offensive tackle Rasheed Walker did not hesitate to announce that the Super Bowl was heading back to Green Bay.

The Lions aren’t banking on him sitting out. Head coach Dan Campbell said they will prepare for anything.

Certainly, we’ll have our eyes on that. We know what kind of player he is; he’s a really good player. But we’ll have a plan.

Dan Campbell said

Despite Parsons’ addition, Vegas is heavily favoring the Lions to secure a 3.5-point victory, as per CBS Sports. The match is scheduled to take place at Ford Field at 8:15 p.m. ET.