When the Dallas Cowboys entered their season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, they were without several key starters. Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and left tackle Tyron Smith didn’t make the trip due to landing on the Reserve/COVID list.
Being that both players are vaccinated, they were fully expected to be ready for the Cowboys’ playoff matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, both players were activated off of the COVID list and will practice on Wednesday.
Cowboys LB Micah Parsons and LT Tyron Smith are among players activated from Reserve/COVID-19. They will practice today.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 12, 2022
The former Penn State Nittany Lion has been everything the Cowboys’ defense could have asked for and more. Parsons finished with 84 tackles (20 tackles for loss), 13 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and three passes defended. He became just the third player over the last 15 seasons to register 80 tackles and 30 quarterback hits joining 2022 Hall of Fame finalist DeMarcus Ware and J.J. Watt.
Parsons is a virtual lock to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and is one of the top candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s been impactful as an edge rusher and an off-the-ball linebacker with his sideline to sideline speed and ability to play the run. He took over 400 snaps at linebacker, over 300 as a defensive lineman, nearly 30 at cornerback, and even lined up at safety which speaks to his incredible versatility.
Smith has had a rollercoaster 11th campaign in the NFL. He vowed in the offseason that he would play all 17 games, but unfortunately, he missed significant time for the sixth consecutive year. However, when he’s played, Smith has been one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL this season when it comes to run-blocking and pass-blocking grades according to Pro Football Focus.
The Cowboys haven’t had their starting five offensive linemen in unison that much in 2021 so getting Smith back in time for the playoffs is crucial for continuity purposes.
Parsons is the swiss army knife of the Cowboys’ defense and Smith is responsible for protecting the blind side of quarterback Dak Prescott. This makes both players essential to the Cowboys making a deep run in the playoffs, and that task gets off to a challenging start this Sunday when the 49ers come to town with a physical running game, multiple threats at wide receiver, and a formidable defensive front four.