The Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence were hurt worse than expected

The Cowboys’ second win of the season came with some turnovers along the way. Injuries to edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence dampened an otherwise victorious Thursday night over the division rivals Giants. While the worst-case scenario has certainly been avoided, both situations appear to be worse than originally expected, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Parsons fell victim to a high ankle sprain. After exiting Thursday night’s game in the fourth quarter, Parsons saw negative X-rays immediately after the game. An MRI revealed the sprain, and while there was initially hope that Parsons would be able to take advantage of a 10-day layoff until the next game and return, the star defender will be out for two to four weeks. With Parsons being such a key player on defense, it stands to reason that Dallas would have played his return slowly, erring on the side of caution and waiting until after the Week 7 bye to bring him back.

Lawrence’s injury immediately appeared more serious than Parsons’, a sentiment later confirmed by the head coach Mike McCarthy. An MRI today revealed a mid-foot sprain in Lawrence’s right foot, but the prognosis was not revealed until a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport puts Lawrence’s recovery window at at least four weeks.

According to Watkins, McCarthy made it known that both players would seek a second opinion on their situation. However, if both situations hold true to their current form, Lawrence becomes a safe candidate for injured reserve. With plans to reevaluate Lawrence in four weeks, it makes perfect sense to place him on IR and fill his roster spot with someone who can play now.

With Sam Williams and Durrell Johnson already on IR and Tyrus Wheat dealing with injury, the Cowboys’ depth on the defensive end will certainly be tested in the coming weeks. Adding Parsons and Lawrence to the disabled list leaves just two healthy defensive ends on the roster: Chauncey Golston and Marshawn Kneeland.

A second-round pick out of Western Michigan, Kneeland will get his baptism of fire. He has served mostly as a rotational rusher in the first few games of the season, but will likely be tested a lot more going forward. Golston is in a contract year with the Cowboys after being drafted in the third round out of Iowa in 2021. He has also been mostly a rotation passer during his three years with the team, making three starts and 4.5 sacks in that time.

With a lack of bodies on the sideline, the Cowboys will likely continue to look for new players to add to the defense, something the team has been doing since Williams went down in July. They hosted free pass players Carl Lawson, Shaka Toney, Al-Quadin Muhammadand Justin Hollins before the season, eventually signing Lawson to the practice squad. They can call on some familiar names in their time of need.