Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Suffers High Ankle Sprain

The Cowboys’ defense endured another poor outing in Week 3. The team’s efforts to rebound will likely include a shorthanded unit on offense.

CeeDee Lamb exited yesterday’s loss against the Bears with an ankle injury and did not return. It became clear afterwards that further testing would be needed to determine the severity of his injury. The All-Pro wideout now looks to be in line to miss time.

“Certainly, he’s got a high ankle sprain and every one of those are different,” Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said of Lamb during a Monday appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “We’d love to have him back for Green Bay but at the same time we also got to understand the injury is what it is and we’ll play it out.”

The Cowboys will play the Packers in Week 4, so Jones’ comments leave the door open to Lamb managing to avoid any missed time. Based on the reports which have emerged this afternoon, however, it appears far more likely Dallas will be without him for a short stretch. A timeline of two to four weeks is being considered internally, as first reported by Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Since then, both Archer and WFAA’s Ed Werder have pointed to an absence between three and four weeks. Provided those are accurate, Lamb can be considered a lock to at least miss the Cowboys’ upcoming game against a Green Bay defense featuring Micah Parsons. Injured reserve is not being considered in this case, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

As such, Lamb is eligible to return at any time without needing to miss a stretch of four games or longer. The four-time Pro Bowler being back at full strength will be critical for the Cowboys’ offense, of course. On the other hand, it would be sensible to proceed with caution while managing Lamb’s injury. That could especially be true with George Pickens in the fold.

The offseason trade acquisition has totaled 68 yards and scored one touchdown in each of the past two games. Pickens will be counted on to operate as Dallas’ top pass-catching option until Lamb is healthy. It will be interesting to see when that will prove to be the case as the Cowboys aim to improve on their 1-2 start.