Getty Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper
That sound you hear is Cowboys Nation breathing sighs of relief.
Dallas head coach Jason Garrett announced Thursday that X-rays on Amari Cooper’s ankle came back negative, as originally anticipated, and the star wide receiver is considered day-to-day.
Garrett confirmed Cooper is dealing with a right “foot and ankle thing” after the team’s Week 3 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Cooper was limited in practice Wednesday and underwent further testing, which revealed no additional damage.
There’s confidence the team’s leading touchdown-getter won’t miss Sunday night’s road showdown against the New Orleans Saints.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be ready to go as the week goes on,” Garrett said.
Concern, though, comes naturally in regard to Cooper, who missed the entire preseason while fighting a mysterious left heel injury that some believe was a recurrence of plantar fasciitis.
He’s shown no ill effects from the malady, pacing the club with 16 receptions for 238 yards and four TDs across three games. Cooper’s now posted 10 scores in 12 Cowboys games, after arriving last year via trade with the Oakland Raiders. His TD-to-appearance ratio is the best by any Dallas player since “at least” 1970, per NFL Research.
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Problems with Pass-Catchers
Cooper’s injury, albeit minor, adds to a beat-up Cowboys receiver corps that’s already without starter Michael Gallup (meniscus) and slot man/returner Tavon Austin (concussion). Gallup did not practice Wednesday as he mends knee surgery, while Austin, working his way through the NFL’s concussion protocol, was a limited participant.
Dallas is rolling forward with Cooper, Randall Cobb, Devin Smith and Cedrick Wilson as the four-deep WR corps. The club isn’t expected to elevate Ventell Bryant from the practice squad, barring a stunning setback with Cooper’s foot.
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