Cowboys’ Collins banned 5 games over a substance-abuse violation
DALLAS — Dallas Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins was suspended five games Friday for violating the NFL’S substance-abuse policy.
The suspension came a day after Collins played his first game since 2019 in the Cowboys’ opener, a 31-29 loss to defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay.
Collins missed all of 2020 because of a hip issue that required surgery.
Collins won’t be eligible until Week 8 against Minnesota, after Dallas’ open week. The absence means the Cowboys will go at least 22 consecutive games without their top three linemen playing together.
Four-time All-pro right guard Zack Martin, who played a career-low 10 games last year because of a calf injury, missed the opener after testing positive for COVID-19 five days before the game.
Left tackle Tyron Smith, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was limited to two games last season while undergoing neck surgery.
Dak Prescott threw for 402 yards and three touchdowns against the Buccaneers in his first game in 11 months after last season’s gruesome ankle injury. But the Cowboys struggled to establish the run against Tampa, and will have another challenge without Collins.
Terence Steele played the most games in Collins’ spot last season as a rookie, but the Cowboys also moved Martin to right tackle
for a brief stint. Brandon Knight, who is on the COVID-19 reserve list with Martin, got most of the work at left tackle last year.
Samuel to miss first three games
Washington placed Curtis Samuel on short-term injured reserve because of a lingering groin injury, meaning the wide receiver will miss at least the first three games of the season.
Coach Ron Rivera confirmed Samuel’s upcoming absence. Samuel had been listed as “did not practice” on the mandatory injury report each of the previous two days, and it was looking increasingly unlikely he’d play this weekend in the
season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Samuel missed all of training camp with the groin injury and stint on the NFL’S COVID-19 list. Rivera insisted surgery was “not on the table” and that the team wanted to give Samuel time to get healthy after pushing him too much this week.
“We’re just trying take a little bit of pressure off him in terms of his rehab program,” Rivera said.
Giants optimistic Barkley will play
Roughly a year after tearing his right ACL, indications are Saquon Barkley is going to play for the New York Giants in the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Coach Joe Judge said the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had a good week of practice, terming the workouts encouraging and promising. The secondyear head coach said the running back will need final approval from the team’s medical staff to play.
The Giants listed Barkley as questionable. He was limited in practice all week.
Barkley said he felt good this week, noting he did not have a setback. That was a problem Judge said could keep fourth-year player out of the game.
“I wouldn’t go out there unless I felt confident that I can protect myself and be able to help the team,” Barkley said.
Jets’ Crowder out for season opener
New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder will miss the season opener at Carolina on Sunday while he continues to recover from COVID-19.
Crowder, who led the Jets in receptions the last two seasons, was placed on the COVID-19 list last Friday after testing positive for the coronavirus. Crowder is vaccinated, but is still working through symptoms.
Per NFL protocols, vaccinated players are allowed to return to the team if they have two negative tests 24 hours apart.
Coach Robert Saleh ruled Crowder out for the game against the Panthers.
“It’s going to go down to the wire,” Saleh said.