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Archer said Cooks could miss time beyond Week 5 due to an infection stemming from a knee procedure he underwent last week. Cooks is second on the team with 19 targets through Week 4, though he only has nine catches for 91 yards and one score. Jalen Tolbert should take on a bigger role with Cooks sidelined. KaVontae Turpin could also see an increased role for as long as Cooks is out.

Ezekiel Elliott has received just 15 and 10 snaps the last two weeks as Rico Dowdle grabs more of the work, with Yousuf writing: “There may be value that Elliott brings to the Cowboys — leadership, locker room camaraderie, pass protection — but it has not been in the form of purely running the football.” The writing on the wall here seems to read that Elliott might be the first back on the chopping block if and when the Cowboys give practice-squad back Dalvin Cook a shot. On that, Yousuf adds, Cook’s time “could be coming soon.” Elliott belongs on fantasy waiver wires.

He’ll miss the next four weeks at the very least with a foot injury that could sideline him even longer. He suffered the injury against the Giants on Thursday Night Football. With both Lawrence and Micah Parsons (ankle) likely out this week, Dallas’ pass rush is wounded ahead of Sunday night’s date with the Steelers.

Henry was waived at last cuts after being drafted by the old Commanders regime in 2023, then caught on with the Bengals practice squad. He’ll provide depth for the Cowboys up front with the team placing DeMarcus Lawrence on injured reserve.

Speaking Monday, McCarthy said Parsons will “be challenged to play this week.” The Cowboys hesitated to rule out Parsons after he went down during Thursday night’s Week 4 matchup against the Giants, but it sounds like they more or less know what his availability will be for Week 5. Whether or not Parsons lands on injured reserve will be the thing to watch for, as his landing on IR would require him to miss at least four games. With DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) also out for the next several weeks, the Cowboys are suddenly very thin at pass-rusher. They’ll likely make a few roster moves in the coming days to account for their losses.

Parsons suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Cowboys’ Week 4 win over the Giants but hasn’t been ruled out for Week 5’s tilt with the Steelers. The star pass-rusher has played through injuries in the past and has never missed a regular season game due to injury. It seems like a stretch that he would play in the team’s upcoming game, but with fellow pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) already ruled out for the foreseeable future, the need to have Parsons on the field becomes more amplified. We may not know about Parson’s availability until Friday or closer to game time.

Evans was a former first-round pick of the Titans back in 2018. Evans played in nine games for the Cowboys last season, totaling nine tackles in limited action, and was with the Falcons in 2022. He’s never lived up to the expectations that made him a first-rounder, but he’ll have a chance to restore his career under Raheem Morris once he gets up to speed. We’ll see if the team opts to elevate him in the coming days.

Rapoport specifies Lawrence suffered a mid-foot sprain and will miss at least four weeks while recovering. If placed on the injured reserve/return list, Lawrence must miss four games. With the Cowboys’ bye week scheduled for Week 7, the team could choose to keep him on the 53-man roster with the hope that he returns in time for Week 9 instead.

This announcement comes shortly after the team announced that Micah Parsons suffered a high-ankle sprain in the victory. The Cowboys are at risk of being without their top two pass rushers for an extended period of time, although there’s a chance Parsons feels well enough to play in Week 5 against the Steelers with 10 days to get right. Lawrence has totaled 14 tackles, four TFLs, and three sacks in four games for the Cowboys this season, and could be a candidate for injured reserve if the Cowboys don’t think he’ll be back after a four-game absence.

Per Rapoport, “His status is to be determined.” The good news is that the Cowboys get 10 days off after beating the Giants on Thursday Night Football. They face the Steelers in Week 5. Parsons is no stranger to playing through injuries and the extra rest may be enough to get him back on the field without any time missed. The superstar defender has had a quiet start to the season with just one sack through four games, but his presence on the defensive line is often enough to spring other players open for potential sacks. Losing him, even for a short period of time, would be a big blow to the Dallas defense.