Potential Cowboys Starter to Undergo Surgery, Injury Timetable Revealed

Getty Cowboys WR James Washington will be out for extended period of time.

A key Dallas Cowboys player will be sidelined for an extended period of time.

Hours after wide receiver James Washington suffered a foot injury that led to him being carted off of the practice field on Monday, August 1, his injury timetable was revealed. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, Washington will be out for six-to-10 weeks because of a fractured right foot. The injury will require surgery.

“The Cowboys will be without WR James Washington for 6-10 weeks because of a fractured right foot suffered Monday, according to multiple sources,” said Archer. “He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday in Dallas.”

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Report: Washington to Avoid Injured Reserve

Washington suffered the injury during the the Cowboys’ first padded practice of training camp. The veteran receiver was running a route against cornerback Trevon Diggs when it appeared his right foot got caught underneath Diggs. As noted by Archer, the fracture is to his fifth metatarsal.

“Washington was carted to the locker room and went for more tests that revealed the fracture to his fifth metatarsal,” said Archer.

As Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News notes, Washington is expected to avoid injured reserve and will make the 53-man roster despite his injury. Gehlken explains that if Washington were to be placed on injured reserve now, he would not be eligible for midseason activation.

“Cowboys WR James Washington is expected to make initial 53-man roster on Aug. 30,” said Gehlken. “He’ll be four weeks post-surgery at time. Team can then decide whether to place Washington on injured reserve. If he goes on IR now, he won’t be eligible for midseason activation (min. 4 games out).”

Cowboys’ Depth at Wide Receiver is Thin

The injury is a major blow to the Cowboys due to their declining depth at wide receiver. Washington was competing to start opposite of CeeDee Lamb to start out the 2022 season due to Michael Gallup’s own recovery from a serious injury. Gallup is still rehabbing a torn ACL suffered at the end of last season and has ruled himself out from the team’s season opener.

Washington had previously missed a good portion of offseason team activities due to a left foot injury.

With Washington now sidelined, Lamb and Noah Brown are the only wide receivers in training camp who have caught a pass from Dak Prescott. Rookie third-round draft pick Jalen Tolbert now has the inside track for the No. 2 receiver spot for the season opener.

The 26-year-old receiver inked a one-year deal with the Cowboys in the offseason. He began his career as a second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Washington has failed to live up to his billing after an impressive collegiate career that saw him named as a unanimous All-American and a Fred Biletnikoff Award winner.

In four seasons with the Steelers, Washington caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns. After posting over 700 receiving yards during his second season, he recorded just 392 receiving yards during the 2020 season and regressed to 285 yards during the 2021 season.

Considering the Cowboys are lacking experienced receivers outside of Lamb, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Dallas sign a free agent wide receiver.