Don't miss any of the action with our daily updates: news, notes and more throughout the Cowboys' regular season. Presented by Sleep Number
Oct. 31 Updates
5:44 p.m. – After a week of suspense, the news is now official: Dak Prescott will not play in this Halloween game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Prescott went through an extensive pregame routine Sunday evening in an effort to play through his current calf injury, but the Cowboys ultimately deemed he wasn't ready.
Cooper Rush will make his first NFL start in Prescott's place. The former Central Michigan standout signed in Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and has spent much of the last four years as the Cowboys' backup. Rush was released last spring when the team signed Andy Dalton, but he rejoined the roster in the fall when both Prescott and Dalton were lost due to injury.
Rush entered training camp as the presumed No. 3 quarterback behind Prescott and Garrett Gilbert, but he made a late push and ultimately won the backup job in the final week of the preseason.
As for Prescott, he'll now have an additional week to rest and recuperate in the hopes of starting next week when the Cowboys host the Denver Broncos.
The Cowboys' four other inactives for this game are Israel Mukuamu, Azur Kamara, Matt Farniok and Simi Fehoko.
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Oct. 30 Updates
2:37 p.m. — Rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph is set to make his NFL debut.
The Cowboys have activated the second-round draft pick from the injured reserve/designated to return list ahead of Sunday's game against the Vikings.
If active Sunday, Joseph will provide depth at cornerback and likely play on special teams.
Joseph missed the first six games with a hamstring injury suffered in preseason.
The Cowboys also elevated defensive tackle Justin Hamilton from the practice squad (standard elevation) Saturday.
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Oct. 29 Updates
3:02 p.m. – Quarterback Dak Prescott (calf), left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle) and defensive end Dorance Armstrong are officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
The Cowboys are likely to wait until the weekend to decide whether Prescott will start Sunday.
Like Prescott, Smith and Armstrong had limited participation in practice this week. Armstrong has missed the previous four games with an ankle injury.
Smith rolled his ankle in the Cowboys' Oct. 17 win over the Patriots, but head coach Mike McCarthy said the bye week helped him heal up and the team will be smart with his practice workload as they move into a stretch of six games in 33 days.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Vikings.
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3:02 p.m. – Cooper Rush knows a final decision on Dak Prescott's playing status Sunday won't be made until the weekend, but the backup quarterback is staying ready in case Prescott doesn't play due to a calf strain that has limited his work in practice this week.
Rush has taken first-team reps in practice this week while Prescott has rehabbed on the side and worked in individual drills.
"That helps more than usual," Rush said. "Usually you're preparing for a game as the backup without getting any reps all week. So definitely going into it, you feel a whole lot better."
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Oct. 28 Updates
5:33 p.m. -- Thursday's injury report for the Cowboys looks exactly the same as Wednesday's: quarterback Dak Prescott (calf strain), left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle), cornerback Trevon Diggs (ankle) and defensive end Dorance Armstrong (ankle) all had limited practice participation once again.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Vikings.
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10:46 p.m. – Head coach Mike McCarthy said Dak Prescott's calf responded well to his limited practice work Wednesday and the Cowboys will take a similar approach to Thursday's practice.
"He'll start with the rehab component, then get into the individual (drills), then we'll see what he can do after that," McCarthy said.
Prescott appeared to be moving well in his warmup and some individual drills during the open portion of Wednesday's practice. He's working through a calf strain suffered Oct. 17 in the Cowboys' overtime win over the Patriots.
Regarding Prescott's playing status for Sunday against the Vikings, McCarthy said "there's no timeline on when we're going to make the decision."
"I think you take in the full week," McCarthy said. "Dak has a ton invested as far as his personal conditioning and we trust the relationship between him and (associate athletic trainer/director of rehabilitation) Britt (Brown) to get across that threshold. That's frankly where we stand."
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Oct. 27 Updates
4:06 p.m. – As expected, quarterback Dak Prescott (calf strain) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Also limited Wednesday: left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle), cornerback Trevon Diggs (ankle) and defensive end Dorance Armstrong (ankle). Armstrong missed the last four games with the ankle injury but has returned to practice.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Vikings.
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Oct. 26 Updates
2:55 p.m. – As they prepare to return to the regular game week schedule, the Cowboys sent two players to injured reserve on Tuesday.
The team confirmed that Brent Urban and Maurice Canady will be moved to injured reserve heading into Week 8. Urban is dealing with a triceps injury, while Canady is still working his way back from the concussion he suffered in the Oct. 17 win at New England.
Per the NFL's current, COVID-altered IR rules, both veterans will now need to miss a minimum of three games. But both players will be eligible to return to the roster after those three games are up.
In the meantime, this does open two spots on the 53-man roster for a team that will likely need them. The Cowboys are starting to work several of their long-term injury concerns back into practice. Kelvin Joseph and Sean McKeon practiced for the first time this season before the trip to New England, while Michael Gallup, Trysten Hill and Francis Bernard are all expected to practice this week.
The Cowboys don't have to make a decision on any of those guys right now, but it won't be a surprise if two of them occupy those empty roster spots by the end of the week.
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Oct. 22 Updates
2:32 p.m. – The Cowboys have started the three-week practice window for wide receiver Michael Gallup and linebacker Francis Bernard, who are currently on Reserve/Injured.
Defensive tackle Trysten Hill has also started his practice window on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list.
Bernard (hamstring) and Hill (knee) have not played yet this season. Gallup has been on IR since straining his calf in the season opener against Tampa Bay.
Cornerback Deante Burton has also returned to the practice squad from the Injured/Practice Squad list.
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Oct. 22 Updates
5:23 p.m. – Next week will be the biggest barometer, but here on the bye week, the Cowboys remain optimistic that quarterback Dak Prescott (strained calf) will be able to play Oct. 31 against the Vikings.
"We're very confident, and I know if you're like me, which most people are now that are Cowboys fans, you learn never to bet against Dak." Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday. "He obviously feels like he's going to be playing, and like I said, I wouldn't bet against him and feel confident that he's going to do what he needs to do to get himself ready to play."
Prescott strained his calf on the final play of the Cowboys' overtime win over the Patriots last Sunday.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott would be re-evaluated this coming Monday, and based on MRI results after the game, the team is optimistic that he won't miss any game action.
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12:11 p.m. - With the trade deadline approaching on Nov. 2, it's that time of year when rumors and speculations dominate the airwaves to fill talk-radio and podcast shows all around, especially with the Cowboys sitting on a bye week.
But when asked Friday morning about the possibility of making a trade, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 "The Fan" that the philosophy hasn't changed, but he's got his focus on other parts of the roster.
"We're open for business year round," Jones said. "On the other hand, we got a unique situation because we've got players coming that we're gonna have to have roster spots for. We got a little bigger problem than trading for somebody right now."
He's referring to the handful of players that have been on IR but will be heading back to the 53-man roster soon, inclduing Michael Gallup, Neville Gallimore, Kelvin Joseph, Josh Ball, Sean McKeon and at some point, DeMarcus Lawrence as well.
Those players are not counting towards the 53 at the moment. The Cowboys will have to make room for each one before they can play in a regular-season game.
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4:30 p.m. - While the Cowboys are winning these games as a team, the individuals are getting recognized as well. Dak Prescott won a Player of the Week award on Wednesday, but Randy Gregory also had the highest individual grade of any player in the NFL this past week.
According to ProFootballFocus, an analytic website that does a deep dive to study each team and player, Gregory scored a 94.2 overall grade, the most of any player with at least 25 snaps.
Gregory had a game-changing play in the second quarter when he sacked Mac Jones and forced a fumble that led to a Cowboys field goal. Gregory also recorded another sack in the third quarter.
And he wasn't the only high grade for the Cowboys. Zack Martin, who has twice led the entire league this year in his overall grade, was third with a 93.0, while CeeDee Lamb ranked 17th overall with a 90.3 grade.
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4:24 p.m. -- The Cowboys have signed Nick Ralston back to the practice squad after the rookie fullback cleared waivers Wednesday.
Ralston, an undrafted rookie, was signed to the active roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots because they'd already used the allotted two standard elevations to bring Ralston up against the Eagles and Panthers.
Cornerback Isaiah Johnson was released from the practice squad Tuesday, creating an open spot.
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Oct. 19 Updates
4:21 p.m. - The Cowboys cleared a roster spot on Tuesday by waiving fullback Nick Ralston. The rookie from Louisiana (University) has played in the last four games on special teams and has one tackle.
Since the Cowboys also waived CB Isaiah Johnson from the practice squad on Tuesday, Ralston would likely return to the Cowboys' practice squad if he clears waivers.
With the open spot on the 53-man roster now, it could open the door for La'el Collins, who has completed his five-game suspension. But the Cowboys still get a one-week roster exemption for Collins if they decide to put another player from IR to the roster this week.
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3:14 p.m. - The Cowboys didn't get off to a good start to the bye week. Safety Damontae Kazee was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with driving while under the influence.
Kazee was arrested at roughly 3 a.m. Tuesday morning in The Colony, a Dallas suburb located near the team's facility in Frisco.
Reports indicate that Kazee failed a field sobriety test, and his charge is a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense. The 28-year-old posted the $2,500 bond and was released on Tuesday afternoon.
This is Kazee's first season with the Cowboys after starting his career in Atlanta, playing for Dan Quinn, who is now the team's defensive coordinator.
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Oct. 18 Updates
4:21 p.m. - Dak Prescott is a nominee for this week's FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week award. Prescott completed 36 of 51 attempts (70.6 percent) for 445 yards and three touchdowns for a 108.7 passer rating in Cowboys' win over the Patriots.
Prescott suffered a calf injury and left the game in a walking boot, though the Cowboys are optimistic he'll be ready to play Oct. 31 at Minnesota after this week's bye.
Other nominees this week include Las Vegas QB Derek Carr and Minnesota's Kirk Cousins.
FedEx gives fans the opportunity to recognize weekly top-performing quarterbacks and running backs in games played on Thursday through Sunday through the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards. Voting is open until Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET at NFL.com/FedEx each week of the season. Fans can also vote on Twitter via the @NFL published polls and on the NFL Mobile App.
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3:57 p.m. - The Cowboys are optimistic about the news regarding Dak Prescott's calf injury he sustained late in Sunday's win over the Patriots.
After getting an MRI on Monday, Prescott reportedly has a slight strain that the team will monitor after the next week as the Cowboys enter the bye week.
Teammate Michael Gallup has been out since Week 1 with a calf strain, has a shot to return next week after the bye against the Vikings. But apparently, Dak's injury is not at that level of Gallup. For now, the Cowboys are hopeful Dak can rest this week and still have a chance to play in Minnesota on Oct. 31.
Prescott threw for 445 yards Sunday in New England, the most ever against a Bill Belichick coached defense.
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Oct. 17 Updates
11:55 p.m. – Cedrick Wilson continues to emerge as a viable option in the passing game, particularly with Michael Gallup (calf strain) still on Reserve/Injured.
Sunday, Wilson had four catches for 42 yards and none more important than his fourth-down catch from Dak Prescott in the final two minutes of regulation with the Cowboys trailing 29-26.
"We called one of our plays I had an out route on," Wilson said. "I think the first play, they went two-man, and he jumped inside, and I was like, 'It's coming to me.' I just had to find the ball and catch it."
Five plays later, Greg Zuerlein forced overtime with a 49-yard field goal. Prescott's touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb in OT sealed the win for Dallas.
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9:05 p.m. — No injury could wipe the smiles off Dak Prescott's face Sunday night.
Moments after throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb, Prescott addressed the media with a walking boot on his right calf.
In a cruel twist of fate, Prescott sustained the injury on the final play against New England, delivering the pass that improved the Cowboys to 5-1.
"It just came down funny and that's what it was. It's something we'll get checked out and I'll be fine," he said.
Prescott was in good spirits following the 35-29 win, understandably. But that's not likely to allay concerns about the Cowboys' franchise quarterback. He'll undergo an MRI on Monday, and he joked that the injury will give people something new to speculate about during the team's bye week.
"I'll be fine, have fun with it," he joked to reporters.
3:00 p.m. – No surprises on the Cowboys' inactive list for Week 6, which is cause for relief.
There was concern heading into the weekend about the availability of Tyron Smith and Trevon Diggs, who were dealing with neck and ankle injuries, respectively. But, as predicted by Cowboys officials, both players are active and will be ready to play against New England on Sunday.
The list of five inactives for this game against the Patriots is Will Grier, Israel Mukuamu, Bradlee Anae, Simi Fehoko and Dorance Armstrong.
Four of those five inactives are healthy scratches, while Armstrong is still recovering from an ankle sprain. Fehoko has been replaced in the lineup by Malik Turner, who returned from injury last week, while Anae's absence likely signifies an increased workload for the likes of Tarell Basham and potentially Azur Kamara.
One last interesting note: Donovan Wilson is active after missing the last four weeks. Wilson aggravated a groin injury in the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, but he was not placed on injured reserve. After practicing this week, the third-year veteran will be available against the Patriots.
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Oct. 15 Updates
11:22 a.m. - The Cowboys made room for two players (Nick Ralston, Jeremy Sprinkle) on the practice squad before Sunday's game in New England. They already had one open roster spot, but the Cowboys had to release offensive linemen Brandon Knight.
He played in just one game this year - getting a handful of snaps against the Eagles in Week 3. Knight played in 13 games last year and started nine as the team tried to replace Tyron Smith and La'el Collins.
The Cowboys are also expected to get Collins back on Monday after his five-game suspension is up.
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Oct. 15 Updates
3:11 p.m. - As expected, Tyron Smith and Trevon Diggs are officially considered questionable for Sunday's trip to New England.
The Cowboys released their final injury report of Week 6 on Friday, with both players listed with neck and ankle injuries, as expected. There is optimism in the organization that both players will be available Sunday, but it's a situation that will bear monitoring as kickoff approaches.
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Damontae Kazee's status improved to "limited" after missing practice time with a hip injury, which is a positive sign for his availability.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Patriots.
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Oct. 14 Updates
3:38 p.m. – Starting left tackle Tyron Smith was added to the injury report Thursday (neck). The seven-time Pro Bowler was a limited participant.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs (ankle) and safety Damontae Kazee (hip) did not practice for the second straight day, though both players didn't sound concerned about their availability for Sunday's game against the Patriots.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Patriots.
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11:06 p.m. – Cornerback Trevon Diggs didn't practice Wednesday and is likely to have limited participation at most Thursday, but head coach Mike McCarthy says Diggs' ankle injury is "not of high concern" heading into Sunday's game at New England.
Diggs had his ankle re-taped at one point during last Sunday's win over the Giants but finished the game, recording his NFL-best fifth interception of the season.
McCarthy said safety Damontae Kazee will work with the injury rehab group on Thursday. Kazee's hip was bothering him Monday after the Giants game and flared up again Wednesday, so the Cowboys held him out of practice.
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Oct. 13 Updates
3:57 p.m. - Cornerback Trevon Diggs had a notable absence from Wednesday's practice. The NFL's interception leader who is taking the league by storm this season is dealing with an ankle injury, which seems to be the only thing slowing him down at this point.
Diggs has dealt with a back issue two weeks ago, and now an ankle setback, but it's unclear if this will be serious enough to keep him from practicing Thursday, or even keeping him out of Sunday's game.
Diggs is leading the league with six picks, the most by any Cowboys players in the first five games of a season since 1961 (Don Bishop).
For more injury updates on the Cowboys and Patriots, click here.
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1:34 p.m. - The Cowboys aren't riding a four-game winning streak with the No. 2 offense in the NFL because of their punter.
However, Bryan Anger has been better than good when he's getting the chance to punt the ball away. In fact, Anger is leading the NFL in net average, with a 45.5 mark.
It should be pointed out that Anger has only punted 13 times this year, the fewest among all NFL teams. He still has seven pinned inside the 20 and he's proving to be a difference-maker. His 63-yard punt against the Panthers is the longest by a Cowboys punter since 2018.
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Oct. 12 Updates
5:45 p.m. – U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant III has denied Cowboys offensive tackle La'el Collins' request for a temporary injunction to block the remainder of his five-game NFL suspension, according to reports.
That means Collins still has one game left on his suspension and will not be available to play Sunday at New England.
Collins disputed the league's suspension for what was termed a violation of its substance abuse policy. Judge Mazzant heard Collins' appeal last Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
The Cowboys haven't publicly commented on Collins' suspension other than to express support for him. Collins recently has been cleared to work out and attend certain meetings at The Star while suspended, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said last week.
Terence Steele has started at right tackle in the first four games of Collins' suspension, which took effect Sept. 10, the day after the Cowboys' season opener against Tampa Bay.
Steele, a second-year tackle, has played well, and the offense is averaging a league-high 34.0 points through five games. But Collins has been in the starting lineup since 2015 when healthy.
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10:07 a.m. – As of Tuesday morning, nothing has changed regarding La'el Collins' NFL suspension, so Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones is operating under the assumption that the veteran right tackle will not be available again Sunday against the Patriots.
"I frankly do not have anything that that's worth noting that would indicate otherwise that he won't be out for this game," Jones told 105.3 The Fan.
Collins is currently eligible to return from his five-game suspension next week, after Sunday's game at New England. But Collins is seeking an injunction blocking the remainder of the suspension for what the league called a violation of its substance abuse policy. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant III heard Collins' case last Friday and has yet to make a ruling.
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6:01 p.m. – The Cowboys eventually have help on the way. Just not yet.
The club doesn't anticipate any of the players on Reserve/Injured to return before next week's bye, head coach Mike McCarthy said.
The estimated timeline for starting defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (elbow) is likely at least another month, Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan.
Other players on IR include wide receiver Michael Gallup (calf) and rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph (groin).
All are making progress, and the bye will provide another week to inch toward a return.
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10:42 a.m. – Good news on top of Sunday's 24-point win over the Giants: the Cowboys announced they did not have any injuries of significance to report following the game.
There were some bumps and bruises. Cornerback Trevon Diggs got his ankle re-taped in the first half. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was slow to get up after landing on the end zone pylon, and wide receiver Amari Cooper was limping at one point in the second half, too, but all returned to the game.
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Oct. 10 Updates
9:54 p.m. - Trevon Diggs is simply on fire right now. Five games into the season and he now has six picks, becoming the first Cowboys player in 60 years to do that, tying Don Bishop.
He's also the 11th player in NFL history to record at least one pick in the first five games.
And with six interceptions already, Diggs tied Anthony Henry for the most picks by a cornerback in an entire season.
With one more, it'll be the most by a Cowboys player in one season since Everson Walls had nine in 1985.
And to put one stat in perspective, with six picks already, Diggs has more interceptions in a season than Deion Sanders (five) ever had while playing for the Cowboys. Deion had seven picks in 1993 while with the Falcons, and then had six in 1994 with the 49ers when he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
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9:12 p.m. - So much was made of last year's game with the Giants for obvious reasons. But lost in that game was a couple of things that happened that we saw once again.
For one, Cedrick Wilson threw and completed another pass. After hitting Dak for a touchdown in 2020, this time he connected with Noah Brown on a 22-yard reception.
Also it was the second straight home game against the Giants that Anthony Brown has scored a touchdown. Last year, he recovered a strip-sack fumble from Daniel Jones, who was hit by DeMarcus Lawrence.
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8:32 p.m. - He's not the first, second or even the third option sometimes. But Dalton Schultz is racking up stats once again. On Sunday, he had a team-high six catches for 79 yards.
He also surpassed the 100-catch mark for his career, becoming the seventh tight end in team history to hit triple digits and the first since Jason Witten surpassed 100 catches in 2004, his second season in the league.
He also went over 1,000 career receiving yards, becoming just the sixth Cowboys tight end to reach that plateau.
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2:02 p.m. – It's the New York Giant dealing with injuries this weekend moreso than the Cowboys.
Pregame inactives were released 90 minutes prior to kickoff, and the Cowboys' list didn't feature many surprises. Donovan Wilson, Will Grier, Israel Mukuamu, Brandon Knight, Simi Fehoko, Dorance Armstrong will all sit out of this matchup.
That's to be expected. Armstrong is still recovering from an ankle sprain, and Wilson is still out with a groin issue. Carlos Watkins will be active for the first time in three weeks after spraining his knee.
The Giants' list is far more interesting, however. Sterling Shepard, Jabrill Peppers and Darius Slayton will all miss this game, meaning New York will be without three key players for this matchup. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is active for this game, but he might not start as he fights through a foot injury.
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Oct. 9 Updates
4:37 p.m. -- The Cowboys have elevated tight end Jeremy Sprinkle and fullback Nick Ralston from the practice squad as standard elevations ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants.
Sprinkle was active for each of the first four games, and Ralston was active for the past two games.
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Oct. 8 Updates
3:22 p.m. – Officially, five Cowboys players are questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants: running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end Randy Gregory, defensive tackle Carlos Watkins and offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe.
Asked specifically about Elliott, Cooper and Gregory, head coach Mike McCarthy didn't sound concerned about their availability for Sunday.
Defensive end Dorance Armstrong and safety Donovan Wilson have been ruled out against New York.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Giants.
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11:50 a.m. -- Echoing head coach Mike McCarthy's comments from Wednesday, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said the organization's decision to release veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith was not an easy one.
"It was (difficult), and principally because he's such a warrior," Jones told 105.3 The Fan. "He really was what you think about when you think about someone overcoming adversity. He had a great hurdle to overcome his injury (in 2016). And that drop foot that he had, it still plagues him to this day, was mind over matter in my mind. There was a lot of physical rehab that he had to do too. Jason Witten and Sean Lee, when they would work with him as he was rehabbing, would tell me, we've never seen anybody go to the levels that he'll push himself to overcome this injury."
Smith did return from that career-threatening knee injury he suffered in college. He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and led the Cowboys in tackles the last two seasons. But the club has gone in a different direction with a talented linebacker rotation.
Smith officially signed a one-year deal with the Packers on Thursday.
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Oct. 7 Updates
3:59 p.m. – Ezekiel Elliott (knee) and Amari Cooper (hamstring) were limited participants in Thursday's practice after resting minor injuries Wednesday in preparation to play Sunday against the Giants.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Giants.
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy did not have any comment on the latest situation involving La'el Collins, only to remain supportive of his right tackle who remains suspended by the NFL.
Collins is seeking an injunction to stop the final two games of his five-game suspension by the NFL. Collins reportedly sued the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell for wrongly suspending him for failing to cooperate with the league's substance abuse policy.
"I'm not really one to speak on any specifics on any situation, especially a legal matter," McCarthy said in his press conference Thursday. "We're always going to support our players. It's good to have him in the building. Any time there are challenging times for your players, I think being at work is the best place for them."
For now, the Cowboys are preparing for Sunday's game with the Giants with Terence Steele expected to start his fourth straight game at right tackle.
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Oct. 6 Updates
2:11 p.m. – Ezekiel Elliott was not practicing during the open portion Wednesday, and the veteran running back said afterward that it was more of a management day, resting some knee stiffness coming out of Sunday's win over Carolina.
"To be honest with you, I feel three times better than I did Monday," he said.
Elliott said he anticipates returning to practice Thursday in preparation to play against the Giants on Sunday.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Giants.
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11:23 a.m. - The Cowboys will continue to be without wide receiver Michael Gallup in their upcoming game against the Giants despite being eligible to return under NFL rules after spending four weeks on the injured reserve. Gallup injured his calf in the second half of the Cowboys' opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Mike McCarthy didn't sound like the playmaker was particularly close to suiting up in a game.
"He's making progress," McCarthy said. "I'm not going to give you timelines. He won't be available this week. I'd be hard pressed to think he'll be available [the following week] in New England."
After the Patriots game on Oct. 17, the Cowboys have a bye week before returning to the field in Minnesota on Oct. 31.
The Cowboys' offense has not seemed to struggle in his absence with both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb playing up to their potential as well as the emergence of Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown as reliable receivers who look more than comfortable in the team's offense.
Gallup caught four passes for 36 yards in the loss to Tampa Bay before leaving the game with his calf injury. He will be a free agent in the offseason.
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Oct. 5 Updates
1:34 p.m. - For the second time this year – and let's not forget he's only played three games – but Zack Martin has earned the NFL's highest individual grade for his performance this past weekend.
According to the website – ProFootballFocus.com – which does an in-depth analytical dive into many aspects of the NFL, Martin scored the best marks with a 95.8 grade – out of 100.
Martin also had the NFL's highest grade in Week 2 in a Cowboys' win over the Chargers.
But on Sunday against the Panthers, the Cowboys were even more dominant on the ground. With Martin leading the way at the right guard spot, the Cowboys racked up 433 yards, including 245 on the ground in their 36-28 win.
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1:32 p.m. - While we might remember one particular drive on Sunday for Dalton Schultz, none of that actually went against his final grade of the game.
A fumble that was ruled down by contract, and then another fumble that was negated because his forward progress had stopped, and then a pass where he was stopped short of the goal line on a 2-point conversion, all were not factored into PFF's grading system for Schultz.
What was valued were the five catches for 66 yards, his in-line blocking that paved the way for 245 rushing yards and of course, his 1-yard touchdown catch, finding the end zone for the second straight week.
Schultz had a 91.3 overall grade from ProFootballFocus, tying for the highest mark by a tight end in Week 4.
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7:10 a.m. – It's hard to imagine a better start for Trevon Diggs than five interceptions through four games, the most by an NFL player in 12 years.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was asked his message to Diggs. The answer: "Keep attacking."
"More cowbell," Quinn said, referencing the famous Saturday Night Live skit where Will Farrell incessantly keeps playing a cowbell, creating quite the racket.
"I just want him to stay in this pocket of where he's at," Quinn said. "He's present, he stays focused, and he doesn't look past anything other than nailing that day and that week. I've been impressed by that so far. But for him, just keep pedaling hard downhill, man. More cowbell."
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Oct. 4 Updates
10:00 a.m. - Ezekiel Elliott is one of three finalists for this week's FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week. Zeke rushed for 143 yards on 20 carries, including a 47-yard run, his longest from scrimmage since his rookie season in 2016.
Elliott also rushed for his fourth touchdown of the season in the Cowboys' 36-28 win over the Panthers.
Other finalists this week are Tennessee's Derek Henry and Chicago's David Montgomery.
This is the third time this season the Cowboys have had a finalist for this award. Dak Prescott was the Air nominee in Week 1 and Tony Pollard was the Ground nominee in Week 2.
FedEx gives fans the opportunity to recognize weekly top-performing quarterbacks and running backs in games played on Thursday through Sunday through the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards. Voting is open until Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET at NFL.com/FedEx each week of the season. Fans can also vote on Twitter via the @NFL published polls and on the NFL Mobile App.
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Oct. 3 Updates
5:11 p.m. - At one point in the first quarter, the Cowboys opened an offensive series without Amari Cooper, who had his helmet off and was tending to his right hamstring. The rest of the day seemed a bit unclear for the team's top receiver.
But Cooper not only fought his way back in the game, but managed to haul in a 35-yard touchdown as the Cowboys were pulling away.
"I think it's going to be good. I just tweaked it," Cooper said of the injury. "It's just part of the game. I'm going to rehab it and get some treatment on it. As long as I can run, I'll be good."
And it's not the first time Cooper has battled injuries, even this year. He played last Monday with a rib injury that required him to wear extra padding in his midsection.
"It is just one of those cases. The more experience you have with something, the better you'll get at it," he said. "Usually, when you get hurt, you don't want to play through as the self-preservation instinct kicks in. But looking at my teammates eyes', seeing how bad they wanted this, I had to play. But you know, it's a part of the game. I'll get treatment and try to be as best I can for next week."
Cooper had just three catches but for a team-high 69 yards on Sunday.
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5:02 p.m. - Don't look now, but the backup wide receiver who was supposed to be filling in for Michael Gallup is starting to be a difference-maker, especially near the goal line.
Wilson scored his second touchdown of the season, and second in the last two games. Last week, Wilson had a fourth-down toe-tap touchdown against Philly, but this week he needed a video-game like spin move to free himself for the 23-yard score.
"It's just a reaction," Wilson said. "I saw him (the defender) flowing over the top, and it was just a reaction to get into the end zone."
Wilson had two catches for 30 yards as the third receiver while Michael Gallup (calf) continues to rehab his injury.
"It feels good to get in there and help the guys," Wilson said. "(Cooper, Lamb, Gallup) are the big-three, and they go in there and make plays too. It's my job to make it one when of them is down or can't go."
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4:38 p.m. - When it comes to the stats, Zeke Elliott had one of the best games of his career, ripping off some long runs we haven't seen in nearly five years.
But to close out the game, it was actually Pollard who sealed the win - with a little help from Elliott. The Cowboys picked up the much-needed first down in the final two minutes on a nifty option run that saw Elliott line up as the fullback, take a quick handoff and then option the ball out to Pollard, who got the first down.
"It's an option. He can keep it if he wants, but the way it played out, he pitched," Pollard explained. "It's a play we practice a lot. It came and it worked for us, big. We've been doing it since training camp. It's second nature now. (Kellen Moore) just sent us out there, and we did it."
Pollard, who finished the day with 67 yards on 10 carries, also had a big 18-yard run to open that last drive, helping the Cowboys get some comfortable field position.
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4:32 p.m. - For the first time in nearly two years, Blake Jarwin scored a touchdown. After he missed all but a few snaps of the 2020 season, Jarwin found the end zone on an 18-yard catch over the middle Sunday.
It was Jarwin's only catch of the day, but he said getting to the end zone was a familiar scene.
"We put a lot of time in that play, and to see it work out was exciting," Jarwin said. "It was exciting to get back in the end zone."
Jarwin's TD was his seventh of his career, but just the second in a game not against the Giants. He's had five TD receptions against NYG, but had one against the Eagles and now the Panthers.
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10:34 a.m. – Malik Turner will be active in his first game back from injury.
Turner was added back to the 53-man roster on Saturday after missing the first few weeks of the season due to injury, and he'll be participating in this Week 4 matchup against Carolina.
The full list of inactives is Donovan Wilson, Will Grier, Israel Mukuamu, Ty Nsekhe, Simi Fehoko, Carlos Watkins and Dorance Armstrong.
Most of those are health-related, as Wilson, Nsekhe, Watkins and Armstrong are all working their way back from injuries. Fehoko is a healthy scratch, as Turner will take his place as the team's fifth receiver. Mukuamu is also a healthy scratch after playing a limited role the last two weeks.
Jayron Kearse is once again expected to start in place of Wilson.
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10:30 a.m. -- Cowboys captains Sunday against Carolina:
G Zack Martin (offense)
LB Jaylon Smith (defense)
LB Luke Gifford (special teams)
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Oct. 2 Updates
The Cowboys have made the following roster moves ahead of Sunday's game against Carolina:
-Wide receiver Malik Turner has been activated from Reserve/Injured-Designated for Return. Last season he was a core special teams contributor when active.
-Defensive tackles Austin Faoliu and Justin Hamilton are standard elevations from the practice squad. The Cowboys need defensive line depth Sunday because Dorance Armstrong (ankle) and Carlos Watkins (knee) have been ruled out against Carolina, and defensive end Bradlee Anae is currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Defensive end Randy Gregory (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday but fully expects to play.
-Running back Nick Ralston and tight end Jeremy Sprinkle have been elevated as COVID-19 replacements. (Linebacker Keanu Neal and Anae are on Reserve/COVID-19.) Ralston, an undrafted rookie, made his NFL debut Monday against Philadelphia, and Sprinkle has been elevated and active as the third tight end in all three games so far.
The Cowboys now have 51 players on their active roster, plus the four elevations, for Sunday.
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Oct. 1 Updates
3 p.m. – Randy Gregory (knee) popped up on the injury report Thursday, and he's officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Carolina, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said he fully expects that Gregory will be ready to play.
Gregory managed a similar knee issue in training camp, and Cowboys were just being smart with it by holding him out of Thursday's practice, McCarthy said.
Gregory said he's dealt with some knee swelling during the week but called the injury "minor" and said he expects to be ready for Sunday.
"I'm good," he said. "I don't want to harp too much on my knee. I was joking about it yesterday, I'm just getting kind of old and I've got to put some WD-40 on my knees every now and then."
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Panthers.
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Sept. 30 Updates
3:34 p.m. – Randy Gregory (knee) was added to Thursday's injury report and did not practice, but the starting defensive end was with the team before heading inside just prior to the start of practice, which seems encouraging for his availability Sunday against the Panthers.
Running back Tony Pollard (not injury related) did not practice because of a personal matter.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Panthers.
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12:28 p.m. – The Cowboys have designated wide receiver Malik Turner (foot) for return from the Reserve/Injured list.
Turner is still on IR, but he's now started a 21-day practice window. The Cowboys can activate Turner at any point during that three-week period.
Turner began the season on IR with a foot injury sustained during preseason. If activated, he would provide receiver depth and special teams experience.
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Sept. 29 Updates
5:17 p.m. – Safety Donovan Wilson (groin), offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe (heat-related illness), defensive end Dorance Armstrong (ankle) and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (knee) are on Wednesday's injury report as the Cowboys start their Week 4 preparation.
All four players did not play Monday against the Eagles. The Cowboys held a walkthrough Wednesday, so their "did not practice" designations are estimations.
Panthers starting running back Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday and reportedly could miss multiple weeks, including Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium.
Click here for the full injury report for the Cowboys and Panthers.
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2:12 p.m. - While his five-game suspension remains upheld by the NFL, Cowboys right tackle La'el Collins is allowed back inside the team facility this week.
Per NFL rules, Collins can be in the team meetings, work with the strength and conditioning coaches and the athletic trainers. While he remains suspended for the next three games for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, Collins is not allowed to practice or be on the practice field while at The Star or Ford Center.
For now, Collins is expected to return to action following the Cowboys' Oct. 17 game in New England. After the ensuing bye week, his next game should be Oct. 31 in Minnesota.
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