Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert might get a huge opportunity vs. Jets
The Dallas Cowboys could be without wide receiver Brandin Cooks in Week 2 versus the New York Jets. Although the team isn't ruling out Cooks just yet, he did miss practice on Thursday with a sprained MCL. That means little since we don't know the severity of his injury. Authority figures in the NFL medical […]
The Dallas Cowboys could be without wide receiver Brandin Cooks in Week 2 versus the New York Jets.
Although the team isn't ruling out Cooks just yet, he did miss practice on Thursday with a sprained MCL. That means little since we don't know the severity of his injury. Authority figures in the NFL medical space suggest such an injury usually takes between 2-6 weeks to heal.
Even if the Cowboys seem optimistic about Cooks' specific situation, any player who misses practice on Thursday has an uphill battle to be ready for game day.
This is why one player could be under the spotlight on Sunday against one of the best secondaries in the entire league: WR Jalen Tolbert.
If Cooks doesn't play, it'd mean it's showtime for the second-year player who's trying to erase all that was said about him during a disappointing rookie year where he was a healthy scratch for most of the season. Tolbert emphatically won the WR4 job with a strong training camp and preseason and has already been featured in special teams in Week 1 as the starting gunner.
In two preseason games this year, Tolbert made six catches on eight targets for 95 yards and one touchdown.
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.
Now, he might get a chance to prove the results on short notice. Even if it's for one game, Cooks' potential absence would push him to the starting lineup. With CeeDee Lamb manning the slot for the most part, that could mean getting some reps against arguably the best cornerback in the NFL today, Sauce Gardner.
We can't wait for this game to start.
Cowboys can redefine ‘quarterback hell’ vs Jets in Week 2
It won’t be pretty.
Featured image via Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
