As the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) gear up to take on the Washington Commanders (7-4), one can’t help but think about how the story of the season has been the litany of injuries to the Cowboys’ starting lineup.
The following players have all missed games, and a couple of them have been lost for the season:
- QB Dak Prescott
- WR Brandin Cooks
- LT Tyler Guyton
- DE Sam Williams
- DE Micah Parsons
- DE Marshawn Kneeland
- DE DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence
- LB Eric Kendricks
- CB DaRon Bland
The good news is, the team is close to welcoming back up to three of these key players into the lineup versus the Commanders this Sunday.
WR Brandin Cooks
To be completely honest, I had already forgotten that Brandin Cooks was on this roster. I know, that’s blasphemy for someone who writes about the team, but tell me, what did he do this season to be remembered?
Cooks hasn’t played since the week 4 victory over the Giants in New York where he caught one pass for 16 yards. That prime-time stat line brought him up to a grand total of nine receptions for 91 yards in four games.
After a decent outing in Cleveland to start the season (4 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD), it appeared Cooks was set to continue his ascension to one of QB Dak Prescott’s favorite targets, but the ineptitude of the entire offense ended that notion.
Now, backup QB Cooper Rush is at the helm, and it will take time to establish a rapport. However, Cooks is a veteran receiver who knows where to position himself to be available to the quarterback. He can be a key contributor to the offense right away.
DE Marshawn Kneeland
The Cowboys will also welcome back rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland from a knee injury of his own. Kneeland suffered a partial tear of his LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament) during a week 5 win at Pittsburgh.
He had surgery on the knee the following Tuesday, and was given a 4-6 week recovery timeline. Well, his recovery is right on schedule. Wednesday was officially six weeks, and it’s possible he could return this week.
We will know for sure by Friday afternoon, and my colleague, Inside The Star Staff Writer Shane Taylor, will fill you in tomorrow with the full injury report.
Before the injury, Kneeland was playing solid football, even working his way into the starting lineup by the time Dallas traveled to Pittsburgh. He was already being compared to a young DeMarcus Lawrence, except with a slightly better pass rush for his age.
One player Dallas won’t be getting back soon is Lawrence, but hopefully, we see #94 back out there in the defensive line rotation this week in Washington to help contain rookie phenom QB Jayden Daniels.
CB DaRon Bland
The most impactful player to possibly return on Sunday is CB DaRon Bland. He has not played this season, but all he did in 2023 was earn 1st Team All-Pro honors by breaking the NFL single-season record for interceptions returned for touchdowns (5).
Ironically, he set that record right around this time last season versus these same Commanders. “Same” is probably not the word to use. Washington might have the same uniforms on, but they are a completely different team under former Cowboys’ defensive coordinator turned head coach Dan Quinn.
Bland would be a welcome addition to the defense even if they weren’t struggling. His coverage on the boundary will be a welcome sight opposite Trevon Diggs, and we finally get to see what Mike Zimmer’s defense will look like with both his starting cornerbacks healthy and on the field together.
The All-Pro had a setback in his recovery that kept him out of the lineup a few weeks longer than expected, but we should see him on the field this Sunday in Washington.
