Micah Parsons hasn’t practiced since last season. He will practice for the first time with his new team Monday.
The back tightness that the star edge rusher sometimes cited during his hold in for his reason not to practice disappeared in the trade to the Packers.
“Physically, I’m great,” Parsons said during his introductory news conference in Green Bay on Friday. “I think I can contribute a lot. I’m going to team up with the doctors and create a plan. We already talked about how we can ramp me up and get me in a flow where they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable.
“My plan is to be here. They didn’t give up what they gave up for me to sit on the sidelines.”
The Cowboys had Parsons undergo an MRI on his back which came up “pretty clean,” according to coach Brian Schottenheimer earlier this week. Schottenheimer said Tuesday that Parsons was cleared medically to practice “at this time.”
Parsons had his back examined by a back specialist this week ahead of the trade, reassuring the Packers. He passed his physical Friday and signed his contract, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
“He made me feel fairly confident that [the back tightness] is certainly not a long-term problem,” Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said before Parsons’ physical was completed. “It’s something he’ll work through pretty quickly, we would think.”
The Packers are optimistic, despite Parsons’ lack of practice time and lack of knowledge of the team’s defense, that he will contribute in “some form or fashion” in the opener.