FRISCO, Texas – At the very least, Travis Frederick will be on the Cowboys' 53-man roster this weekend.
That's about as much as the Cowboys are willing to say for the time being, as they continue to help Frederick since his diagnosis with Guillain-Barré Syndrome last week.
"It's still too early. We won't make that decision, probably until next Monday," said team executive vice president Stephen Jones. "As we all know, regardless, he'll be on the team when we cut to 53, and then we'll make decisions from there."
As it stands right now, the Cowboys essentially have two options – keep him on the active roster or move him to injured reserve. But if they move him to injured reserve right now, NFL rules dictate that he'd be out for the entire season. By waiting until after the cut deadline, they could potentially place him on injured reserve with the option to return to the roster after eight weeks.
"There's always the option of IR, and then he can be one of two to return – if we wanted to go with that," Jones said. "We may just keep him on the roster. That's still very much an option."
Those conversations will undoubtedly be had after the Cowboys return from their preseason game in Houston. At this point, Jones said it's too soon to say whether or not Frederick needs to spend time on injured reserve, adding that the Cowboys' primary concern is his health.
"Thank goodness we caught Travis' situation early, so that gives him a better chance. But we really just don't know right now," he said. "Obviously, first and foremost is his well-being for the long haul. That's what we'll take into account first, and once we feel good about that we'll look at the football aspect of it."
At some point, a football decision will need to be made – but not just yet. For the time being, Frederick will start out on the 53-man roster while the Cowboys continue their evaluations.
