If the best ability is availability, Cowboys LB Micah Parsons is well on his way to becoming an all-time great.
Parsons, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, made his 54th consecutive appearance in Week 4 of the 2024 season but his night ended early with a high ankle sprain. After the threat of a serious injury was ruled out, the focus immediately shifted to Parsons' incredible ironman streak and whether he'd be ready to return in Week 5.
Two days before the Cowboys returned to the field, Parsons was officially ruled out, marking the first injury-related absence of his NFL career. A closer look at Parsons' streak reveals an incredible run of durability that spans the entirety of his football career.
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Micah Parsons ironman streak
Save for the season he elected to sit out in college, Parsons has never missed a game in his football career. An injury did not keep him off the field during his time at Central Dauphin High School, Harrisburg High School, or his first two seasons at Penn State.
Parsons picked up where he left off as his NFL career got underway, appearing in all 16 games of his rookie season and building upon that with his availability during the next two expanded 17-game seasons.
| Year | Team | Games | Games played |
| 2018 | Penn State | 13 | 13 |
| 2019 | Penn State | 13 | 13 |
| 2020 | Penn State | 9 | 0* |
| 2021 | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | 16 |
| 2022 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | 17 |
| 2023 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | 17 |
| 2024 | Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 4 |
*Opted out of season due to COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the regular season, Parsons has played in all four playoff games the Cowboys have played in since drafting him. Up until Week 5 of the 2024 season, the 25-year-old had been available at all times, including when it mattered most.
Parsons' incredible streak is more impressive when considering the physical nature of the sport and the various bumps and bruises he has taken throughout the course of his career.
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Micah Parsons injury history
Parsons never missed a game due to injury during his time at Penn State or the NFL. Before missing Week 5 vs. the Steelers, Parsons' last absences came when he opted out of the 2020 college football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Parsons hadn't missed a game before the 2024 season, he has played through several ailments in his career, notably playing with a club on his left hand during Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.
| Week | Injury |
| Week 8, 2022 | Shoulder |
| Week 12, 2022 | Knee/ankle |
| Week 17, 2022 | Left hand |
| Week 5, 2024 | Ankle |
What is Micah Parsons' injury?
Parsons was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain. He suffered the injury when it appeared his leg was rolled on during Dallas' win over New York on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 4.
Micah Parsons banged up on this play #NFL pic.twitter.com/0Lsszfrb7H
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 27, 2024
Despite the extra time to recover between Weeks 4 and 5, Parsons was unable to recover in time to return to the field for Week 5.
