E-Paper
Doctor gives damning verdict on Micah Parsons ahead of Week 1 clash vs Lions
Micah Parsons, newly traded to the Packers, suffered an L4/L5 facet sprain and may miss Week 1 vs Lions, though experts say it’s “annoying not concerning.”
Shortly after being traded to the Green Bay Packers, former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons is facing a setback. Ahead of Green Bay's Week 1 fixture against the Detroit Lions on September 7, it was reported that Parsons has suffered an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back.
ESPN reported, citing sources, that the injury could keep the DE out of the Week 1 clash against Detroit Lions. Adam Schefter reported that Green Bay is considering playing the 26-year-old with an injection in Week 1. However, that still remains unconfirmed with an official update from the Wisconsin-based franchise still awaited.
Amid that, a popular sports physician has offered his take on the new Packers' DE recently signed on a record deal from the Cowboys. And, in his opinion, it doesn't look good on Week 1 for the former Penn State DE as he looks to make his debut for the Packers.
Jesse Morse, a sports medicine expert specializing in players' injuries, said that Micah Parsons' sprained facet joint at the L4-5 level is "much better diagnosis than a herniated disc." But he warned that playing him with an injection is only a short-term solution.
"Given the amount of energy and force that he generates during his rushing attempts, this is likely where the majority of the translational energy is going from his upper to his lower body and vice versa," Morse said.
"An epidural, where cortisone is injected into this area, can be helpful, but often only a temporary solution," he continued. "Parsons would benefit from some really good physical therapy, OMM, and eventually restrengthening the individual lumbar ligaments with stem cells.
"More annoying than concerning," he said, delivering his final verdict on Parsons.
Also read: Packers saw a ‘violent player’ in Micah Parsons; real motivation behind Cowboys trade revealed
Dallas Distress And Green Bay Move
Micah Parsons was involved in a long-drawn negotiation with the Dallas Cowboys over his optional fifth-year contract salary. Parsons' agents and Dallas owner, Jerry Jones, could seem to agree on the figure, with Parsons' estimates being $3 million more than the Cowboys. Eventually, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers signed him on a record four-year, $188 million contract with a $120 million guaranteed. It makes him the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL.
