Halloween may feel like it was eons ago, but things are still downright scary for the Cowboys roster as they head into a divisional tilt this weekend looking like a veritable skeleton crew.
To be sure, the latest news from along the offensive line could end being more trick than treat for a backup quarterback already getting his first start in over two years.
Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton is dealing with a neck/shoulder injury, said Mike McCarthy on Friday. The Cowboys head coach called Guyton “very limited” in practice, having taken just “minimal reps” in the day’s walkthrough session.
“He’s fighting through it,” McCarthy added.
Mike McCarthy with an potentially ominous answer regarding Tyler Guyton (neck). He's been limited in practice and took minimal reps today. "He's fighting through it," MM said. Asim Richards took one series at LT last week when Guyton was getting examined.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 8, 2024
That does not sound overwhelmingly encouraging when forecasting his status for Sunday’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
Guyton apparently suffered the injury during the first half of last week’s loss to Atlanta. Second-year man Asim Richards took over for him to start the second half, and although the first-round draft pick returned for the offense’s next possession, the issue was apparently serious enough to keep the 23-year-old officially listed as “limited” on both Wednesday and Thursday of this week. (Friday’s report had not yet been released as of this writing.)
The team will already be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is less than 100% with the lingering aftereffects of an AC shoulder sprain, Brandin Cooks is still on injured reserve, and right guard Zack Martin missed two days of work earlier this week with a shoulder injury of his own.
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(While McCarthy said that Martin “did everything in the [Friday] walkthrough,” it is not yet decided if he’ll be able to go on Sunday. T.J. Bass would be the likely replacement if Martin cannot suit up.)
Backup quarterback Cooper Rush could indeed be seeing a lot of familiar faces from the second team in the Cowboys’ huddle come gametime.
Richards was a fifth-round draft pick last year out of North Carolina. He played on a total of 39 offensive snaps as a rookie and another 23 so far this season.
Guyton has been in on over 77% of the offense’s snaps through eight games, but he leads the team in enforced penalties (and is tied for second-most in the league) with nine.
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