FRISCO, Texas – Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, safety Malik Hooker and rookie safety Israel Mukuamu have joined defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins in the NFL's COVID-19 safety protocol, the team announced Monday.
The Cowboys did not disclose the reasons for Quinn and the four players entering protocol or the timeframe for each to return to team activities. The league's protocol states different return requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated players and staff, though the Cowboys also do not disclose vaccination status.
The coaches worked virtually Sunday after the team's 20-14 loss to the Texans on Saturday. The players went into virtual mode Monday, McCarthy said.
The team is scheduled to return to practice Tuesday.
"We all understand the protocols and I addressed it in the locker room after the game," McCarthy said. "We have everybody going through the proper testing both yesterday and today, and we'll do so again tomorrow."
Quinn and Watkins entered COVID-19 protocol and left AT&T Stadium about 90 minutes before Saturday's kickoff. Defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. handled the defensive play calls against Houston. The defense played well, holding the Texans without a third-down conversion in 10 attempts.
"They're still in protocol and there are a number of steps that are part of the protocol," McCarthy said about Quinn and Watkins after the game. "So with that we'll continue to move forward. We're just being extremely cautious and we'll do so moving forward."
To date, the vaccination rate for the Cowboys' player roster is 93%, while 100% of the team's football staff is fully vaccinated, the club announced Saturday.
The Cowboys must trim the 85-man training camp roster to 80 by Tuesday, but the Cowboys will only have to make one roster move because Lamb, Hooker, Mukuamu and Watkins are on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for the time being.
