Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks has stayed off the field this past week due to a knee injury and is inching closer to an absence in Week 2's game against the Jets.
Cooks did not practice at all this week as he continues to recover from what is believed to be a sprained MCL. Since the ex-Texans wideout hasn't logged in any form of on-field activity ahead of the Jets game, it seems likely that Cooks will be sitting out.
In the season-opener against the Giants, Cooks caught two passes on four targets for 22 yards. Cooks was acquired by Dallas in a trade last March and has been remarkably healthy in his last decade in the league, playing in 14 games or more in nearly every season. However, he did miss four games last year due to a calf strain.
Here's the latest update on Brandin Cook's status for Week 2.
Cowboys injury update: Brandin Cooks is questionable for Week 2
According to the Cowboys' Week 2 injury report, Cooks is questionable for Week 2's game against the Jets.
Missing three practices in a row would normally receive a designation more severe than "questionable", but nonetheless, that's what Dallas is labeling his game status.
Multiple NFL insiders believe Cooks is not expected to play on Sunday.
Injury timeline: Cooks suffered his reported MCL sprain in Week 1 against the Giants. ESPN described the injury as a "slight sprain of the medial collateral ligament in one knee." It's unclear exactly when Cooks picked up the injury during the game, but his inability to practice this past week doesn't bode well for his status for the Cowboys-Jets matchup at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Expected return: Cooks' recovery time from his MCL sprain naturally depends on how serious his sprain is. Players can recover from Grade I sprains in a matter of days but may need anywhere from two to eight weeks to recover from Grade II and III sprains.
Potential replacements: If Cooks can't go, the Cowboys' next men up are KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, and Jalen Brooks. Turpin and Tolbert are in their second years with the team while Brooks is a seventh-round rookie; Brooks, who was inactive last week, was made active this week. The other two Cowboys starters are CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, who may get a heftier workload.
Coach's quote: On Wednesday, Cooks himself supplied a brief update on his situation, telling reporters that "if I'm out there [in Week 2], there's no limitation."
