The Cowboys’ Week 18 contest against Philadelphia may be mostly a formality when it comes to closing out the 2021 campaign so that postseason prep can begin in earnest. But the team continues to tweak the roster, even with less than 12 hours to go in their regular season.
Safety Donovan Wilson, who had been listed as questionable earlier in the week with an illness, has reportedly received negative COVID test results and will be traveling to Philadelphia with an expectation to see some action on the field Saturday night.
The Cowboys secondary has been depleted recently, with safety Jayron Kearse and cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown all hitting the injury report. Brown is in COVID protocol, while Diggs is out with an illness and Kearse is dealing with a hamstring issue.
Rookie defensive backs Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, and Israel Mukuamu are all expected to log significant snaps, although some of that pressure may be taken off with the late arrival of Wilson.
Safety and special teams contributor Darian Thompson has also tested positive for the virus. He did not travel with the team as he awaited his results and will now be added to the practice squad with a COVID designation.
Practice squad safety Tyler Coyle, a highly-touted undrafted free agent rookie from Purdue, will likely be elevated to provide depth for the season-ending game.
After testing positive, Cowboys S Darian Thompson is being added to “Practice Squad; COVID-19,” source said. He was among players who stayed in Dallas awaiting results. S Donovan Wilson tested negative and is expected to join team in Philadelphia for tonight’s game vs. Eagles.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 8, 2022
On the offensive side, tight end Blake Jarwin is expected to be activated and available to face the Eagles. He suffered a hip injury against Minnesota on Halloween night and has not played since, suffering a bout with COVID while he rehabbed.
His 21-day practice window opened on Tuesday; Cowboys coaches said he looked good in his work this week.
Also look for Blake Jarwin to be activated and available to play tonight. The tight end has not played since Oct. 31 because of a hip injury. Practiced this week and came out of the work feeling OK.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 8, 2022
The Cowboys are assured of at least the No. 4 seed in the NFC postseason bracket, even with a loss in Philadelphia. A win, though, coupled with a combination of other teams winning their games, could potentially move them to No. 3 or even No. 2.
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