Cowboys Put Micah Parsons on Reserve-PUP, Sidelining Him for 4 Games

Q: As Josh Jacobs faces legal trouble, which unproven Packers running back will seize the starting role in their crucial Week 1 opener?

MarShawn Lloyd is the likeliest Packers back to open Week 1 as the starter if Josh Jacobs remains unavailable. That is where the weight of the reporting points. Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which bars him from practicing or playing while the NFL reviews his case. Green Bay has prepared for that possibility, and multiple team- and league-focused reports identify Lloyd as the direct backup and top available option in Jacobs’ absence. Lloyd is still unproven. The former third-round pick has appeared in only one regular-season game in two years because of injuries, and he has just six career carries for 15 yards. Even so, Green Bay has consistently viewed him as the upside play in the room. He handled first-team work in preseason action when Jacobs was out, and recent coverage says he is now the favorite to take the carries. Chris Brooks should still have an important role, especially because coaches trust his pass protection and versatility. But Brooks has never started an NFL game and profiles more as a complementary option than a clear lead back. Kaleb Johnson, newly acquired from Pittsburgh, gives the Packers insurance, but he has just arrived and is unlikely to leap Lloyd immediately for the opener against Minnesota. So for Week 1, the best answer is Lloyd as the expected starter, with Brooks sharing work and Johnson likely mixing in as the backfield settles.

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Aug 30

Micah Parsons was moved to the reserve/PUP list, ruling the Cowboys linebacker out for at least the first four games of the season.
Reserve/PUP status means Parsons is opening the year unavailable because of injury, making him one of the most significant roster decisions in the league’s final cutdown wave.
Dallas also traded offensive tackle Nathan Thomas to Houston and waived several players, including running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The move comes as teams across the NFL finalize 53-man rosters, with reserve/PUP placements carrying an automatic four-game absence to start the season.