Micah Parsons injury update: Packers star could be on a ‘pitch count’ during Week 1

Micah Parsons has been dealing with a back injury this offseason, and it’s kept him sidelined throughout the preseason. Will he be available for Week 1? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided the latest.

“He wants to play and the Packers want to get him in there,” Fowler said during SportsCenter on Saturday. “They’re trying to be cautious because he had that back issue. My sense, asking around early in the week, is that they were leaning on some sort of pitch count. Not throwing him out there for 60 snaps, because he’s been out throughout the entire preseason.”

That isn’t to say Parsons hasn’t kept himself in shape throughout the offseason. Fowler noted that the new Packers star defender has been keeping himself busy off of the field as well.

“I was told when he was in Dallas, he was going through two-a-days on his own,” Fowler said. “He was running, he was lifting, he was in all of the walkthroughs. So, he’s been engaged. He’s not coming in totally cold. My sense is, they’ll find a way to get him out there.”

Parsons is reportedly dealing with a L4/LF5 facet joint sprain in his back, and he may receive an injection before the game against the Lions on Sunday, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter. Before trading Parsons to the Packers last week, the Dallas Cowboys prescribed him a five-day course of prednisone, a corticosteroid to help him recover from back tightness.

Despite this, Parsons said that he was feeling great physically during his introductory press conference with the Packers, which was likely before this plan was put in place. He noted that he planned to meet with team doctors and work on piecing a recovery plan together and assured that he’s working diligently on his return. After all, Parsons said himself that Green Bay didn’t “give up what they gave up” for him to simply sit on the sidelines.

The 26-year-old pass-rushing star expects to be on the field when the Packers open the season against the Detroit Lions at home on Sept. 7. While it remains to be seen how much he’ll ultimately play, it appears that the Packers and Parsons both want him on the field during Week 1 — especially on key snaps.

The Packers are a two-point betting favorite over the Detroit Lions in Green Bay, according to BetMGM. The over/under for the game is set a 47.5 total points.