Will Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks play vs. Jets in Week 2?

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who's dealing with a knee injury, isn't expected to play versus the New York Jets on Sunday. The news emerged moments after midnight. Cooks suffered a sprained MCL during the Cowboys' dominant 40-0 win over the New York Giants in the season opener. Usually, […]

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer

Sep 17, 2023 12:34 AM EDT

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) runs with the ball until he is stopped by the members of the Giants defense. Sunday, September 10, 2023

Cooks suffered a sprained MCL during the Cowboys' dominant 40-0 win over the New York Giants in the season opener. Usually, such an injury can sideline a player for 2-6 weeks but there was optimism Cooks could beat the odds and miss no time as the team listed him as questionable for Week 2.

Cooks will have to wait a little longer for his first game as a Cowboy at AT&T Stadium.

The news means big things for Jalen Tolbert, who emphatically won the WR4 job with a strong training camp and preseason. As I wrote earlier this week, this will be his first opportunity to translate that into a strong regular-season performance:

The Cowboys' young receiver has taken his own down rookie year to the chin. He's been extremely open about what went wrong and the lengths to which Dak Prescott went to help him out. During training camp, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer explained how Tolbert carried a notebook with him with admirable detail of every concept and call.

Tolbert will be lining up against one of the best secondaries in football, which is led by Sauce Gardner. The 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year has shut down some of the best wide receivers in the game and usually stays on the outside, which sets the table for several looks against Tolbert (or Michael Gallup) while CeeDee Lamb mans the slot.

The Cowboys' second-year wide receiver left no doubts he's ready to take the next step in the summer. But September football is a whole different beast. All eyes will be on No. 18 on Sunday.