Dallas faces a Sept. 4 opener vs Philadelphia with Micah Parsons still in contract limbo, yet coach Brian Schottenheimer remains confident he’ll suit up. Parsons has spent camp on a chair but is participating in meetings and walkthroughs, and Dallas is betting his conditioning and game-day readiness will keep the defense elite while the business side sorts itself out.

The Cowboys’ defense appears anchored by Parsons’ on-field impact, combining elite pass rush with top EPA/Play metrics when he’s on the field, while posting stark drops when he’s off. Dallas has publicly leaned into a team-first mindset, even as Aikman argued Parsons’ absence could hinder the club’s chances—a view Schottenheimer disputes as overly simplistic.