It’s officially official. On Tuesday, the Cowboys placed wide receiver Allen Hurns on injured reserve. As previously reported, the Cowboys will promote fellow receiver Lance Lenoir from the practice squad to take his place.
Hurns suffered a dislocated ankle just minutes into the Cowboys’ wild card playoff game against the Seahawks. Unfortunately, it was one of those injuries that non-doctors could immediately diagnose as a season-ender. Now, the Cowboys will head into Saturday’s game without him.
Hurns signed a two-year, $12MM deal this past March, but was never able to establish himself in Dallas’ offense. He initially looked like he might be the team’s number one receiver after Dez Bryant was cut, but ended up catching just 20 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season.
The Cowboys still have him under contract for 2019, so he may have an opportunity for redemption next year. There’s also reason to believe that he can do better based on his past results. In 2015, he enjoyed a breakout season with the Jags as he caught 64 passes for 1,031 yards and ten touchdowns. And, if fellow receiver Cole Beasley leaves in free agency, Hurns could see more opportunities as a depth option behind Amari Cooper.
With wideout Allen Hurns expected to land on the injured reserve, the Cowboys could promote a wideout from their practice squad to take his place. Coach Jason Garrett said that practice squad wideout Lance Lenoir is a “viable” option to take a spot on the 53-man roster (via The Athletic’s Calvin Watkins on Twitter).
The 23-year-old Lenoir has appeared in seven games with Dallas this season, appearing mostly on special teams. The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Western Illinois previously impressed during his collegiate career, earning a pair of All-Missouri Valley Football Conference nods. Dallas clearly likes his potential, as he’s split time between the practice squad and active roster over the past two years. The wideout has displayed his talent during the past two preseasons, including a 2018 stretch that saw him haul in 12 receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown.
Of course, even with Hurns out of the lineup, it’s unlikely that Lenoir will see many (if any) reps at wide receiver during next week’s playoff matchup against the Rams. AmariCooper, Michael Gallup, and Cole Beasley will continue to see the majority of the targets at wide receiver, with Noah Brown and Tavon Austin potentially earning more reps.
Hurns suffered a dislocated ankle during the Cowboys win over the Seahawks last night. The 27-year-old has already undergone surgery and is expected to be ready in August.