Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones never gives up on a season. Despite how bleak a Dallas season looks, Jones makes the media rounds and insists everything is fine.
The current season isn’t going well for America’s Team. The Cowboys are 3-7 and have lost five in a row heading into Sunday’s NFC East battle against the upstart Washington Commanders (7-4).
Dallas has struggled all season. The defense is one of the NFL’s worst and, coincidentally enough, faces former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Sunday. Quinn led the Cowboys to three consecutive top-five defensive finishes before taking Washington’s head coaching position.
The Cowboys placed quarterback Dak Prescott on season-ending injured reserve last week, only two months after Prescott signed a record contract. Prescott wasn’t playing well before injuring his hamstring.
We know Prescott is out for Sunday’s game against the Commanders, but he’s not the only one. Dallas had a long injury on Friday’s final injury report.
David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported Saturday that two of the Cowboys’ top players, guard Zack Martin and cornerback Trevon Diggs, did not make the trip to Washington. Martin was injured in Monday night’s loss to Houston and was listed as doubtful on the injury report.
Diggs was questionable.
CB Trevon Diggs & RG Zack Martin will not travel to Washington & are out for Sunday’s game.
OT Chuma Edoga & DT Marshawn Kneeland were activated from IR & are expected to play.
TE Princeton Fant & CB Kemon Hall have been elevated from the practice squad.
— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) November 23, 2024
Also, wide receiver Brandin Cooks was not activated from IR and will not play at Washington.
Incredibly, per Todd Archer of ESPN, Dallas will be without its five highest-paid players on Sunday at Washington in terms of 2024 salary cap numbers.
With Zack Martin and Trevon Diggs out Sunday, the Cowboys will be without top five players in terms of salary-cap figures, totaling more than $100 million.
Dak Prescott – $44.6m
DeMarcus Lawrence – $20.4m
Zack Martin – $15.5m
Trevon Diggs – $15.3m
Brandin Cooks – $10m— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 23, 2024
That leads to the question: Has Jones seen enough? One longtime Dallas writer even suggests that the Cowboys may be tanking.
Knowing the way Jones operates, that isn’t very likely. The Cowboys are dealing with several legitimate injuries. And, playing on a short week, Dallas isn’t willing to risk further injury to some of its best players with six weeks remaining in the season after Sunday.
