Steele out for Saints game due to COVID
FRISCO — Dallas Cowboys coach Mike Mccarthy announced Sunday morning a slew of COVID-19 issues the team is facing.
Starting right tackle Terence Steele was placed on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list with a positive test and will miss Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
La’el Collins, a man Steele — a former Steele High School and Texas Tech star — replaced earlier this season, most likely gets his starting gig back for the Saints game.
The Cowboys will miss three assistant coaches due to COVID-19, which includes offensive line coach Joe Philbin, who also missed the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Assistant offensive coaches, Jeff Blasko and Scott Tolzien will not be available for the Saints game due to COVID-19.
Mccarthy said tight ends coach Lunda Wells, a former offensive line coach, and offensive consultant Ben Mcadoo will help coach the offensive line.
“I think this is an opportunity for young coaches to take advantage of,” Mccarthy said. “But yes, I mean, I’ll be where I need to be this week. So, you know, we have some moving moving parts. I don’t know if you’re aware, will be working virtual today and tomorrow. It’s part of the protocol that that were part of right now because of our COVID situation, so, I’ll just continue to work
through. So it’s a different structure, right? Regardless of of the positive test.”
Mccarthy said the Cowboys will work virtually through Monday
and test every day through Tuesday. Mccarthy wasn’t sure of the plan after Tuesday when it comes to more tests.
Also, starting wide receiver
Amari Cooper, who has missed the last two games because of a positive COVID-19 test, is expected to return Monday. Mccarthy said Cooper’s conditioning needs to be evaluated before any shortor long-term practice plans can be reached.
“Well, really we have three plans,” Mccarthy said of what the team is going through. “The standard plan with the norm that we’ve been in up to this point. Then we have the virtual format that we’re going to utilize today and tomorrow. Then the plan, the last-year plan where we had everybody spread out, you know, 6 feet.
“So, I mean, that’s something we may look to do in the future coming back up to a weekend. So, we have those three plans in place, just going through the experience last year. So it’s just a matter of activating and which plan we’re going to be in.”
Over the last 10 days, the Cowboys have placed 11 people, whether it’s a player, trainer or coach, on COVID-19 protocols.
It started with Cooper last week and continues with the Steele, tight end Blake Jarwin, wide receivers T.J. Vasher and Robert Foster, coaches Philbin, Toizien, Blasko and strength and conditioning coaches Harold Nash, Kendall Smith and Cedric Smith.