When Micah Parsons went down with an ACL tear on Sunday, the immediate shock was followed by the inevitable question: *What does this mean for his future? * For Cowboys fans and NFL followers alike, it's a gut punch.
Parsons isn’t just a Pro Bowl pass-rusher-he’s the engine that drives Dallas’ defense. So the question becomes: how do elite edge defenders bounce back from an injury like this?
To get a clearer picture, let’s look at five Pro Bowl-caliber edge rushers who’ve walked this path over the past decade. Their stories offer a range of outcomes-from encouraging comebacks to cautionary tales.
Nick Bosa: The Gold Standard of Comebacks
Bosa’s trajectory might be the most optimistic template for Parsons. After bursting onto the scene as a rookie Pro Bowler in 2019, Bosa tore his left ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season-his age 23 year. He missed the rest of that season but returned in time for the 2021 opener and didn’t miss a beat.
In fact, he elevated his game. Over the next four seasons, Bosa not only made the Pro Bowl each year, but he also averaged a stellar 13.4 sacks per season. That’s elite production by any standard, and it shows that a torn ACL doesn’t have to derail a star’s ascent.
But there’s a twist. In Week 3 of this season-now in his age 28 campaign-Bosa tore his other ACL.
He hasn’t returned to the field yet. It’s a reminder that while recovery is possible, the physical toll on edge rushers is relentless.
Bradley Chubb: Resilient, But Battle-Tested
Chubb is another example of a player who came back strong-at least the first time. After a 12-sack rookie season, he tore his ACL in Week 4 of his age 23 season. Like Bosa, he missed the rest of that year but returned for the following season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
Then came another setback. In Week 17 of 2023, Chubb tore the ACL in his other knee-this time at age 27.
He missed the end of that season and all of 2024. In 2025, he returned to action and has put up 6.5 sacks so far.
Chubb’s career arc shows both the promise of recovery and the reality that multiple injuries can start to chip away at a player’s ceiling.
Rashan Gary: Flashes of Greatness, But Still Searching
Gary’s story hits closer to home for fans who’ve seen a player flash elite potential only to have it interrupted. In his age 25 season, Gary was playing the best football of his career when he tore his ACL in Week 9 of 2022.
He returned for the 2023 season opener and even earned a Pro Bowl selection post-injury. But while he’s remained productive, he hasn’t quite recaptured the dominance he showed before the injury. Since his return, he’s averaged eight sacks per season-solid, but short of the breakout trajectory he was on.
Chase Young: The Harshest Reality
Young’s tale is the sobering one in this group. Drafted No. 2 overall in 2020, he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and looked like the next great defensive cornerstone. But in Week 10 of his second season-his age 22 year-he tore his ACL.
He missed the rest of that season and only managed to play in the final three games of 2022. Since then, he’s averaged just 4.5 sacks per season. For a player once expected to be the face of a franchise, it’s been a steep and sudden decline.
Young’s case is a reminder that not every comeback story ends in triumph. Talent is only part of the equation-timing, recovery, and team context all play a role.
Harold Landry: Quietly Effective
Landry isn’t as high-profile as some of the others, but his post-ACL journey is worth noting. After making his first Pro Bowl in 2021 (age 25), he tore his ACL the following August. He missed all of 2022 but returned for the 2023 season opener.
Since then, he’s averaged nine sacks per season-a number that would make any defensive coordinator happy. Landry’s been a steady contributor, showing that even if you’re not back in the spotlight, you can still be a difference-maker.
A Look Back: Justin Houston’s Post-ACL Career
If we rewind to 2015, Justin Houston offers a longer-term view. He tore his ACL in his age 26 season, one year removed from a monstrous 22-sack campaign.
Prior to the injury, Houston had made four straight Pro Bowls. Afterward, he never returned to that elite level, averaging 7.9 sacks per season over the next seven years.
That’s still solid production, but it marked a clear shift in his career arc. He went from game-wrecker to reliable veteran presence-a transition that may await others on this list.
So What Does This Mean for Parsons?
Here’s the bottom line: a torn ACL doesn’t spell the end for a Pro Bowl pass-rusher. Bosa, Chubb, and Gary all made the Pro Bowl after their injuries.
Landry came back and produced. But the path isn’t linear, and it’s not guaranteed.
Parsons, now in his age 26 season, has time and talent on his side. The track record shows that edge defenders can return and thrive-but also that an ACL tear can become a career pivot point. For every Bosa-level rebound, there’s a Chase Young cautionary tale.
What’s clear is that Parsons’ recovery will be closely watched-and his return, whenever it comes, will be one of the most anticipated in the league. Because if he can come back anything close to what he was before the injury, the Cowboys’ defense will still have its heart-and its teeth.