FRISCO — DeMarcus Lawrence had his leg resting on a scooter and took off for the training room the moment reporters entered the locker room.

Micah Parsons wasn’t as quick. He was sitting in front of his locker, putting on a protective boot for his high ankle sprain, when he was surrounded.

“Yeah, it’s time to man up,” Parsons said. “For sure.

“I’m very confident in these guys.”

Next man up is a phrase uttered in every NFL locker room once a player goes down. Losing players to injury over the course of a season is inevitable.

But compensating for the absences of Parsons and Lawrence is a big ask for this Dallas defense.

Parsons is one of the league’s elite pass rushers. His injury typically takes two to four weeks. Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys are preparing to face Pittsburgh this weekend without their best defensive player.

Lawrence will be out even longer. The veteran defensive end suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot. It won’t require surgery, but several people with knowledge of Lawrence’s status put the timetable for his return at four to eight weeks, with the back of that range the more likely target.

Dallas will place Lawrence on injured reserve in the coming days, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games, a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking told The Dallas Morning News. Discussions are ongoing, but the plan for now is to elevate defensive end Carl Lawson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game and bring in several players for a workout.

None come close to what Parsons and Lawrence bring to this defense.

“Those are two dynamic guys,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. “Good leaders, good team guys.

“We’ll have to make some adjustments and see how it goes.”

Parsons is a focal point for every opponent. Accounting for where he lines up and how to neutralize him is where the offensive game plan starts.

The Steelers won’t have that concern. There’s no one player the Cowboys can plug into his hybrid role. Zimmer said he will just have to figure out how he intends to use other players and come up with a plan that plays to their strengths.

It will be a collective effort, not an individual one.

“That’s it,” McCarthy said. “It’s not like you take one player and put him in and give him the exact same responsibility in reps that Micah had or what D-Law had. It’s going to be a combination of things.

“You let the game plan bring that to light.”

The injuries open the door for rookie Marshawn Kneeland and veteran Chauncey Golston to move into the starting lineup.

The Cowboys took Kneeland in the second round to be Lawrence’s heir apparent. It turns out his time is sooner than later.

The Western Michigan defensive lineman has gotten off to a good start. But he’ll get even more snaps now.

“He’s a hard playing dude, likes to get physical,” Zimmer said. “He’s very coachable and soaks up a lot of the coaching.

“He’s a really good guy. I’m glad we got him.”

Parsons talked to Kneeland on Friday and told the rookie he was going to need to step up until he was able to return. Kneeland took it the wrong way, thinking that Parsons was questioning whether or not he was ready for the added responsibility.

“You don’t understand,” Parsons responded. “When I say step up I don’t mean just playing.

“Like you got to lead now. You lost your two veterans. You got to lead, you got to carry these guys. You got to communicate, talk to them, like bring these other guys with you.

“You’ve got to be the guy for us.”

Golston has bounced from inside to outside in his four years with the Cowboys. In the words of McCarthy, the defensive lineman has worn a lot of hats.

He’s a defensive end now. Golston has played the run well from that spot but his pass rush has been limited.

“He’s going to get some more playing time and get more opportunities in the passing game,” Zimmer said.

Golston has just 4.5 sacks for his career. One of those came this season. Parsons said his teammate reminds him of former NFL defensive end Cameron Wake in terms of his build and wingspan.

“With his length and ability and the way he can pass rush, being able to utilize it, I think he can be very, very, very good,” Parsons said.

“Those long arms, the things he is able to do with them, he’s going to be very good. I’m excited to see how he performs.

“He’s always talking about waiting for his opportunity. He’s got one one. I’m waiting to see it.”

Lawson will be part of the rotation on the outside along with Tyrus Wheat. Since Lawson will be out of elevations after Sunday’s game, he’ll need to be placed on the active roster going forward. That leaves a spot on the practice squad to bring in another player.

But replacing Parsons and Lawrence? That won’t happen.

“Those guys are the motor,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “They make this thing go. Especially when we’ve got guys that make players like that. It’s contagious how they play.

“It’s definitely hard and we’re gonna have to find ways to supplement that because there’s no way you can replace it. So you gotta go out there and find ways to attack offenses you know, without those guys.”

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

X/Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

I was born and raised in Dallas. I went to W.T. White HS and graduated from SMU in 2015. I covered high school sports for The Conroe Courier (2015-2017) before joining the Houston Chronicle’s digital team as a sports producer. I’ve been at The News since 2019 and have been the Assistant Online Sports Editor since February 2023.

Stonewall Democrats respond

Re: “Dallas County chooses sides in transgender debate — Commissioners should stay out of medical disputes,” Sept. 23 editorial.

We, the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, feel compelled to respond to the recent editorial addressing the resolution passed by the Dallas County Commissioners in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

We praise the Dallas County Commissioners in their resolve to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights and defend the health care and right to self-determination of all residents in Dallas County. Gender-affirming health care is lifesaving.

LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. According to the Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People, roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide in the past year. This is a health crisis.

Additionally, we take issue with the notion that this resolution divides the Dallas County LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ movement has always thrived on unity and mutual support. From the very beginning, transgender activists stood alongside gay men and lesbians during the Stonewall uprising, which sparked the modern gay rights movement.

Throughout the AIDS crisis, it was the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community, including transgender individuals, who stood shoulder to shoulder with gay men, providing care and advocacy when many were abandoned by society. This solidarity has only strengthened over the decades as we collectively championed marriage equality.

While we acknowledge differing opinions within our community regarding certain issues, we must remember that our history is rooted in unity and mutual respect. We stand firm against any division that seeks to undermine our collective progress. We stand firmly with the transgender community in their struggle for lifesaving medical care and equal rights.

The Stonewall Democrats of Dallas Executive Committee

City Hall needs overhaul

Re: “Dallas adopts land plan — Outline passed after two years of drafting, months of community meetings,” Thursday news story.

Thank you to Mayor Eric Johnson and council members Carolyn King Arnold, Jesse Moreno and Cara Mendelsohn for supporting single-family neighborhoods. Every type of housing has its place, but not all in the same place. Strong neighborhoods are the backbone of the city. We pay taxes, we vote, we raise our families here. We purchased homes with the understanding that certain zoning protections came with that purchase. What other city promises will now be broken?

The culture at City Hall needs an overhaul. Recent stories about a failed lead removal program, failure to hold landlords accountable for substandard living conditions, failure to maintain city-owned properties (999 Technology Blvd. and at 711 S. St. Paul St., for recent examples) and permitting problems suggest a need for change.

We will have an election next May where we will have the opportunity to elect representatives who will support strong neighborhoods and the residents of the city of Dallas. Will your representative have your best interest at heart or their own interests? Vote and make your voice heard.

Laurie Johnson, Dallas

U.S. a great nation

Re: “We do not have a nation that’s dying — Despite what one presidential candidate says, our economy and generosity are alive and well. I see it every day,” by Peter Johnson, Sept. 22 Opinion.

I enjoyed Johnson’s opinion giving a positive view of America. I feel exactly the way he does. It certainly counters the dark dystopian and false view of our nation that Donald Trump keeps telling us about every day during his rally speeches. It is so depressing.

We need to be uplifted, and Johnson has done just that. We have a great nation no matter what the candidates tell us.

Richard Bach, Garland

Bankruptcy rights bipartisan

Students are losing on predatory student loans. Both parties should be fighting to return bankruptcy rights to student loans. This is a bipartisan issue. All other loans (mortgages, cars, unpaid taxes, etc.) have bankruptcy rights and consumer protections and student loans should be no different.

There are nearly 4 million Texans paying $8 billion to the Department of Education each year. How do politicians like U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and Rep. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, sleep at night?

Representatives of Texas should be fighting tooth and nail to get bankruptcy rights restored. Texas should support students and education. It’s important!

Jacque Abron, Midlothian

Texas and education

Public schools, as I see it, have three main functions: education, socialization and providing inclusivity for students. Texas ranks in the bottom half of states in education. Gov. Greg Abbott’s fixation on school vouchers will only help the wealthy while ignoring lower-income families, some of whom can barely afford school clothes and supplies. Will there be a maximum income for those receiving assistance?

Our “rainy day fund” would be better used to increase teacher salaries and improve the infrastructure for our public schools.

Including Christian teachings and posting the Ten Commandments is not inclusive of all faiths. Commandments 1-4 relate to the Judeo-Christian God, ignoring the gods of other religions. Good luck teaching Commandment 7 to young kids. Why not post Commandments 6, 8, 9 and 10, along with the Golden Rule?

Teaching only Christian values is demeaning to non-Christians. Should we also teach from other religious texts? I’m a Christian, but I also respect other faiths.

Why not set aside some classroom time each week to address bullying and conflict resolution? Teach kids how to live with each other peacefully. Maybe we could prevent future violence in our schools.

Vivian Bush, Ovilla

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