As the Dallas Cowboys head into their Week 5 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’ll be without veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, as the team announced Saturday, October 5, that they’re putting Cooks on injury reserve. The move means Cooks will be out for at least a month.
“Cooks had a procedure last week on his knee that led to an infection, which required a clean-out surgery last weekend,” Dallas Cowboys staff writer Nick Eatman stated on the team’s official website. “While it was initially reported Cooks would miss this one game in Pittsburgh, it now appears this will be a multiple-week injury, prompting the Cowboys to place him on injured reserve.”
Per NFL rules, players in injury reserve can return to the field after four games, so the first game Cooks could be eligible to play is the Cowboys’ November 10 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The games Cooks will definitely miss are the Steelers game on Sunday, the Detroit Lions matchup on October 13, the San Francisco 49ers game on October 27 and the Atlanta Falcons matchup on November 3.
With Cooks out, Eatman says the team “will likely lean on Jalen Tolbert as the starter opposite of CeeDee Lamb.” He adds to “look for more snaps for Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin and rookie Ryan Flournoy, who has been inactive the first four games.”
The Cowboys also have two receivers on the practice squad, Jalen Cropper and Kelvin Harmon.
In a corresponding move, Dallas has signed linebacker Nick Vigil from the practice squad to their active roster. In addition, for their standard practice squad elevations, the Cowboys promoted cornerback Amani Oruwariye and defensive end Carl Lawson to the active roster.
Cowboys Will Lean on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb Without Brandin Cooks
Going into the Steelers game, quarterback Dak Prescott says he gets that things will be tougher without Cooks in the fold, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to try to be a “Superman” trying to make up for the Cooks loss.
“I don’t break the huddle and say I’ve got to go be Superman here,” Prescott told media on October 3. “But I’ve been able to break some tackles. I’ve been able to do some things that have help us out. As I said, use my feet more, make the throws, and so I don’t think it’s anything outside of my game that I’ve got to try to do.”
Prescott added that he’s “just being my best,” and he hopes the guys on the squad do the same.
“I think if I do that and guys are detailed and they do the exact same, take the same approach and being at their best and we’re able to put that out there. I’m not worried about the results and how we’re going to play out,” he said.
