Cowboys starting cornerback Trevon Diggs (illness) did not practice Wednesday, and starting left tackle Tyler Guyton (shoulder) and returner KaVontae Turpin (neck) were limited.
However, all three returned to full participation on Thursday, and all three are expected to play on Sunday against the Bears.
Starting cornerback DaRon Bland was the only Cowboys player not to practice. He is not expected to play again this week after injuring his right foot in the team’s Sept. 8 practice. That is the last time he has practiced.
Reddy Steward made his first career start on Sunday in his third career game and held his own. Kaiir Elam, who was acquired in a trade with the Bills this offseason, also started.
Elam has taken offense to NFL Pro, which shows him leading the league in receiving yards allowed (232), and defended his play through two games.
Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was back on the practice field for the Bears on Thursday.
Jarrett (knee) was out of practice on Wednesday, but he was able to work on a limited basis. Jarrett has started both games this season and he has four tackles.
Running back D’Andre Swift (quad) was a limited participant for the second straight day, but linebacker D’Marco Jackson (hamstring) and offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie (elbow) missed practice after being limited on Wednesday.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin), linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring), defensive back Kyler Gordon (hamstring), and cornerback Jaylon Jones (hamstring) missed practice for the second straight day.
Johnson has already been ruled out for this week and the rest of the injury designations for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys will be released on Friday.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will be back in familiar surroundings on Sunday.
The Cowboys will be in Soldier Field to face the Bears and Eberflus spent most of the last three years as the head coach in Chicago. He was fired after a Thanksgiving loss to the Lions last November that saw the Bears’ comeback attempt hindered by poor clock management.
Eberflus was 14-32 during his tenure with the Bears, so his dismissal was not met with many tears from Bears fans. On Thursday, Eberflus said “I haven’t thought about” what the reaction will be to his return and that he’s focused on the future rather than the past.
“In terms of going back to Chicago, we’re keeping the process and our preparation the same as we always do. . . . There’s always hard moments in coaching,” Eberflus said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “You’re always disappointed when you lose because you put so much into it. The players put so much into it. You’re most disappointed for the players. Once that settles in then you work to the next day, the sun comes up and you move forward. You learn and you grow and you keep going. That’s what true grit is. That’s what we’re all about.”
Eberflus is unlikely to get a warm welcome on Sunday afternoon, but a win would make it a successful return to a place where he didn’t get to enjoy many victories over the last few years.
Former Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis died Tuesday, his alma mater, Mississippi State, announced. Lewis was 79.
Lewis played in five Super Bowls, won two Super Bowl rings and played in the most playoff games in team history. He saw action in 27 postseason games, including the 1975 NFC Championship Game against the Rams when he made two interceptions.
Lewis might be most remembered for his quote about Texas Stadium, telling reporters that “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.”
The Cowboys made Lewis a sixth-round pick in 1968, and he played his rookie season before serving a military commitment. Lewis returned in 1970 and backed up Chuck Howley until Howley retired in 1973.
Lewis’ final season was 1981.
He played 186 games, starting 134, and totaled eight interceptions and 15.5 sacks.
Cowboys starting cornerback DaRon Bland did not practice on Wednesday.
He injured his right foot in the team’s Sept. 8 practice and did not practice all of last week. The injury is unrelated to the stress fracture in Bland’s left foot that required surgery last season and cost him 10 games.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones called Bland “a long putt” to return for this week during Jones’ weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
The Cowboys also practiced without starting cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was out with an illness.
Starting left tackle Tyler Guyton (shoulder) and returner KaVontae Turpin (neck) were limited.
During his radio appearance Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was optimistic about Turpin’s availability for the Bears game.
“I think that we’ve got a chance with [Turpin],” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "[Turpin]'s got a real chance, I think.”
