Is Micah Parsons playing tonight? Cowboys LB's status explored for preseason game vs. Ravens

Since entering the NFL in 2021, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has been one of the most dominant defensive players in football. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in all four years of his career thus far. He did not play last week in the Cowboys' preseason debut.

The reason he was not played is because of an ongoing contract dispute. He is heading into the fifth year of his rookie contract. However, Parsons desires an extension and has not been participating in most training camp activities. As a result, he is not expected to play for the Cowboys on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against the Baltimore Ravens.

Is Micah Parsons playing tonight?

Micah Parsons is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against Baltimore by ESPN. However, unless something drastic changes between the Cowboys and Parsons throughout the day, it is hard to imagine he will suit up in the game. Even if a contract is signed sometime on Saturday, it is unlikely Parsons will step into this preseason matchup.

Parsons is not considered a holdout and instead is classified as a hold-in. At the start of training camp, Parsons said he was dealing with back tightness and was undergoing treatment. Many people, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, believe Parsons' back issues are a part of his negotiation tactics.

With the contract dispute between Parsons and the Cowboys continuing, Parsons requested a trade early this month. Despite this, Jerry Jones still appears to be happy to have Parsons on his team and just views the request as a business decision. He spoke about this in early August.

"I think the world of Micah," Jones said. "And that (request) is just a part of negotiation."

Regardless of the status of the contract talks between Parsons and the Cowboys, fans should not expect Parsons to play on Saturday.

Micah Parsons is entering year 5 in the NFL

Micah Parsons is entering his fifth year in the NFL. In his first four years in the league, he was named to the Pro Bowl each year. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2022, and was named to the Second-Team in 2023. This past season, Parsons appeared in 13 games for the Cowboys, making 43 total tackles, including 30 solo efforts.

Parsons was drafted with the 12th pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Cowboys. Before his NFL career, he played for the Penn State Nittany Lions in college.