Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland participated fully in practice all week and did not have a designation on this week’s status report, meaning he’s in line to make his season debut Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
Bland last season set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns, but he hasn’t appeared in a game since undergoing foot surgery in late August.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb also didn’t have a designation o Friday’s status report, and coach Mike McCarthy said he should be “good to go” against the Commanders after back and foot injuries kept the star pass-catcher out of practice Thursday
The fate of other Cowboys is less clear. In total, nine players are either out, doubtful or questionable for Sunday’s game. Here’s the team’s full injury report:
OUT
Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion)
DOUBTFUL
Offensive guard Zack Martin (ankle/shouldeR)
QUESTIONABLE
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee)
Cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee)
Offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe)
Defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee)
Offensive guard Tyler Smith (ankle/knee)
Linebacker Nick Vigil (foot)
The Cowboys made clear earlier in the week that Bell and Ferguson sustained serious injuries in Monday’s loss to the Texans and would likely miss game action.
Martin, a nine-time All-Pro, left Monday’s game with injuries to both his ankles and did not practice all week. The 34-year-old right guard has a reputation as a tough player to get off the field — he’s started 162 of a possible 173 regular-season games since arriving in Dallas as a first-round pick in 2014.
Smith, the All-Pro right guard, also came off the field Monday night. If one or both of their guards miss Sunday’s game, the Cowboys will likely send T.J. Bass into the starting lineup and potentially shuffle around other pieces on the line.
Among the Cowboys who are questionable to play, Cooks, Edoga and Kneeland are all on injured reserve. Dallas would need to a make personnel move to add any of those players to the roster before activating them for the game.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday it was a challenge to prepare Cooks and Kneeland to play, because their first weeks back at practice after long absences came on the heels of a Monday night game that shrunk the Cowboys’ work week.
“It’s definitely not ideal when you have guys coming back that you’re not in a seven-day flow, so yes, that is part of the decision-making process,” McCarthy said. “So I think you have to be really careful at this spot right here for all those guys, because you don’t have the normal amount of information that you would have in a seven-day week.”
Safety Markquese Bell (shoulder)