It has been a tough week for the Dallas Cowboys, with two wide receivers ending up on the injury report for very different reasons. Let’s take a look at the latest updates regarding Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb ahead of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dallas Cowboys Injury Report: CeeDee Lamb still has a chance to suit up
When Lamb left the Cowboys’ Week 11 game against the Kansas City Chiefs after suffering a blow to the head in the end zone, it looked as though his chances of taking part on Thanksgiving were gone.
It is rare that a player suffers a concussion on Sunday and is ready to play on Thursday. However, every concussion is unique, and Lamb appears to be trending in the right direction to play Thursday.
On Monday, Lamb was listed as a non-participant on the Cowboys’ injury report, but head coach Mike McCarthy said that he was present at team meetings. On Tuesday, McCarthy told the media that Lamb is “making progress.” He also told reporters that Lamb would “probably get to the point where he can do some light fieldwork today.”
Lamb was listed as a non-participant Tuesday. However, Mike McCarthy was quoted as saying that Lamb “will practice today” on Wednesday. After registering a limited practice on Wednesday, Lamb will not play in the Cowboys’ Week 12 game against the Raiders.
Amari Cooper will miss Thanksgiving after a positive COVID test
Cooper was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to Week 11 after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Cowboys WR is not vaccinated and therefore has to miss a mandatory 10 days, ruling him out for both Weeks 11 and 12. Cooper will now miss the opportunity to face the team that traded him to Dallas in 2018.
On Tuesday, team owner Jerry Jones expressed frustration with Cooper not being vaccinated. During an interview with 105.3 The Fan, Jones discussed Cooper’s vaccination status.
“It is a ‘we’ thing when you walk into the locker room. You can’t win individually. This is the classic case of how it can impact a team. And this popped us. This did pop us.”
However, even if Cooper had been vaccinated, there would have been no guarantee of his availability this week. Ben Roethlisberger and Nick Chubb both missed Week 10 after positive COVID tests. Despite being vaccinated, it took until Friday and Saturday of Week 11, respectively, for each of them to clear the protocols and return to the field.
Who else is on the Cowboys’ injury report in Week 12?
Lamb is not the only important player on the Cowboys’ injury report. Ezekiel Elliott (knee) and Tyron Smith (ankle) were listed as limited Monday. Both are key pieces of the offense. Smith’s absence was felt in Week 11, as Dak Prescott was consistently under pressure. The presence of Tony Pollard makes the Elliott injury less concerning, but the Cowboys would like him available all the same. Both are expected to play Thursday as neither carries an injury designation into gameday.
On the defensive side of the ball, S Donovan Wilson was listed as a non-participant with a shoulder/chest injury on Tuesday. Meanwhile, CB Nahshon Wright (hamstring) and DT Trysten Hill (foot) were both listed as full participants on both Monday and Tuesday.