Micah Parsons Unlikely to Return from Ankle Injury for Cowboys vs. Falcons

As the Dallas Cowboys look to snap their two-game losing streak on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, they will likely have to do it without Micah Parsons.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday that Parsons is "not quite there yet" in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain and hasn't been cleared to return by athletic trainer Britt Brown.

Parsons has missed the last three games after suffering an ankle injury in the Cowboys' 20-15 win over the New York Giants in Week 4. He was injured when Giants guard Greg Van Roten fell on the back of his leg during a play late in the fourth quarter.

"Right now, I just iced it," Parsons said after the game. "I know very little. I've got an MRI [Friday], and I'm going to try to get back next week."

Even though the MRI confirmed a high-ankle sprain, which typically comes with a four-to-six-week recovery timeline, the Cowboys elected not to put Parsons on injured reserve. The move would have kept him for a minimum of four games.

Sunday will mark the fourth game Parsons has missed if he's unable to suit up. The three-time All-Pro hasn't practiced since suffering the injury, including missing their first session of this week on Wednesday.

The Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17, in their first game without Parsons. They have lost back-to-back games to the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers that has dropped their record to 3-4 overall this season.

Chauncey Golston has been inserted into the starting lineup with Parsons unavailable. He has 15 combined tackles, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss in the last three games.

Parsons was having a down year by his usual standards prior to the injury. He only had six quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and one sacks in four games. The 25-year-old averaged 30 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks per season in his first three years.

Despite the Cowboys' struggles so far this season, they are only two games out of a playoff spot in the NFC. They will play the NFC South-leading Falcons (5-3) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.