The Cowboys lost two offensive starters to high ankle sprains in Week 3. In addition to CeeDee Lamb going down, Tyler Booker will not be available to the team for the foreseeable future.
Booker is expected to miss at least three weeks because of the high ankle malady he sustained in Chicago, AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill reports. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer pegs the timetable at 4-6 weeks. The latter duration being where this settles would make the first-round pick an IR candidate.
This represents another bad break for the Cowboys, who have center Cooper Beebe on IR. Brought in after Zack Martin‘s retirement, Booker started at right guard in Dallas’ first three games. The injury also comes after second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton — the team’s 2024 first-round pick — missed several weeks due to a knee injury sustained early in training camp. Guyton returned in time for Week 1 but continues to see new faces along the O-line.
IR is a possibility for both Lamb and Booker, Jerry Jones said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder). This comes after a report indicated Lamb was not an IR candidate. An IR transaction would sideline either until Week 8. Booker played through the injury but will take a seat for a while.
If the Cowboys are planning on carrying Lamb on their 53-man roster, a Booker IR move would make more sense. Two of Dallas’ injury activations went to Jonathan Mingo and Payton Turner in August. The team will likely hold another for Beebe, and rookie running back Phil Mafah also landed on IR shortly after roster-cutdown day. These placements would stand to factor into the Cowboys’ decision with Booker.
Weeks after the Martin news, the Cowboys drafted Booker at No. 12 overall. Sporting a keen eye for first-round talent over the past several years, the Cowboys only placed 12 first-round grades on prospects this year. This led to the team staying at 12 and taking Booker, doing so after previously eyeing Tetairoa McMillan. The Cowboys identified four All-Pro O-linemen (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Martin, Tyler Smith) in Round 1 from 2011-22, and they will hope Booker — now opposite a guard-record contract given to Tyler Smith — will follow that path.
The Cowboys have 2023 UDFA T.J. Bass and waiver claim Trevor Keegan as options to replace Booker. Bass would seemingly be the more likely option, having started five games from 2023-24 and having played in all three Cowboys contests this season. Keegan has not played this year.
In better Cowboys news, cornerback DaRon Bland is on track to return for Week 4, Archer adds. Joining Tyler Smith as a recent extension recipient, missed Dallas’ past two games with a foot injury.