At this point, a couple of things could throw a wrench into Micah Parsons suiting up for the season opener against the Eagles. One: there’s the not-so-little matter of his contract standoff with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Two: that nagging back issue that flared up during camp. Not exactly the cleanest buildup to Week 1. Still, Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer is keeping the door wide open and has been optimistic about his return.

And joining his HC in this optimism is Dak Prescott, who knows a thing or two about pushing through injuries and big-stage drama and just doubled down on his confidence. “I’ve got confidence,” Prescott said regarding Parsons’ availability for the Week 1 showdown. “I’ve told ya’ll that way back when. And I’m just going off experience, honestly. No different than mine. I’ve got confidence in that. Just hoping, which I know he is, he’s ready to play.” Translation?

The locker room believes that No. 11 will be out there when it matters. But let’s not forget there’s another side to this chess match. The Eagles aren’t tiptoeing around the Parsons question. Lane Johnson, their veteran anchor up front, has already circled the date. He went on SPORTSRADIO 94WIP and made it clear he’s preparing like Parsons will be on the field, contract dispute or not.

“You know, there’s a great quote from one of my former coaches,” Johnson said. “He would always say, expect the best and be disappointed if they don’t bring it. So, you know, as far as I’m concerned, I’m expecting him to play, be out there if he’s not. Great, if he is, great. But, you know, as far as I’m concerned, I’m ready for Micah. And, yeah, I mean, all the other stuff I can’t control. It’s just, you know, how contract negotiations go, teams go at their own pace. So, you know, it is what it is.”

There was a reason why Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley enjoyed success last year. They had the support of the best offensive line in the NFL. And yes, that includes the Eagles’ 35-year-old veteran, Johnson. Sure, Johnson is set to enter his 13th season with the Eagles. But there’s no denying that the 35-year-old OT is ready to face the 26-year-old Micah in the season opener, with the same rhythm.

His reasoning is pretty simple: he believes he’s getting close to his “peak.” How? Because he works out like a warrior. “All I do man is work out for a living, I train,” the OT said. “So for me, it’s about obviously being strong in the weight room but being mobile.” Johnson’s résumé speaks for itself—six Pro Bowls in 12 seasons and an All-Pro nod, first or second team, every year for the past four. The veteran’s not slowing down at all. If anything, he’s aging like that bottle of wine you save for special occasions—just keeps getting better with time.

Micah, on the other hand, has racked up 19 solo tackles, 10 assists, and 5.0 sacks in seven career games against the Eagles. Johnson is certainly ready to go head-to-head with him, no doubt about that. But with contract disputes still unresolved, it’s unclear whether Parsons will even suit up for the season opener. And even if he does, don’t expect him to be at full strength, given his recent injury concerns.

Coach Schottenheimer, addressing Parsons’ status, indicated that the pass rusher would likely be on a snap count and see limited action if he plays. “At the end of the day as soon as he can get out there, that’s great, but again there will be a ramp-up plan for him,” the HC said. “And when he lines up out there to play, do I think he would play 75 plays and every play? Probably not. I don’t think that that’s real. But I do think that he can be very disruptive like we all know.”

Although Parsons has been cleared to practice following an MRI, it will be intriguing to see if he actually shows up for the season opener—especially with trade rumors swirling more than ever.

Micah Parsons’ trade rumors reignite ahead of the season opener

Ever since Micah Parsons released the statement that he does not want to play for the Cowboys, the rumor mill has been buzzing about a potential trade. And somehow and in some way, the Packers seem to be the front-runners. It all started when the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport connected Parsons to the Green Bay team. “I would expect the Packers among the teams really interested [in trading for Parsons],” the analyst said.

Rapoport’s reasoning was simple: the Packers had the money to sign Parsons on a big contract extension. However, Jerry Jones claimed that the Cowboys are not trading the 26-year-old pass rusher, putting a halt to the trade rumors. The twist? The former Packers fullback, John Kuhn, recently reignited the rumors on Tuesday, August 26, through a social media post. “Micah Freaking Parsons,” Kuhn wrote on ‘X’.

That was it. A simple post. But that was enough. The social media lit up and came up with theories, even though neither the Packers nor the Cowboys confirmed these speculations. Besides, Micah Parsons has been officially a part of the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. That said, the contract extension dispute persists, and so are the trade rumors. We’ll see how Micah’s situation turns out as the former Penn State standout approaches the final year of his deal without a big contract extension in his hand.