Micah Parsons was moved Wednesday to the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Dallas Cowboys, which initially put his availability against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in doubt. Head coach Mike McCarthy has since ruled out the frontrunner for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and now the Cowboys will have to prepare for a possible loss on the offensive side of the ball as well. Tyron Smith, the team’s All-Pro left tackle, has also tested positive for COVID-19, meaning his status is in doubt for the regular season finale — sources tell to CBS Sports.
This has since been confirmed by McCarthy, who also noted starting cornerback Anthony Brown will join Parsons and Smith on the COVID list. Brown’s status is also in doubt for Saturday.
Smith returned to the field in late December after having missed several games due to a reaggravated ankle injury, taking the field against the Arizona Cardinals and hoping to continue knocking off rust as Wild Card Weekend approaches. Considering he tested positive on Thursday, while there’s a chance he tests out of the protocol in time to face the Eagles, those odds are slim.
If he’s absent, it will be swing tackle Terence Steele landing the start at left tackle in a still meaningful game for the Cowboys, with a mix of backup Ty Nsekhe. They did activate safety/linebacker Keanu Neal from COVID protocol on Wednesday, which helps at the LB position. As for LT, they’ll have to go back to Steele as starter once again, as they often have this season. And assuming Brown is absent, look for rookie second-round pick Kelvin Joseph to get the lion’s share of reps opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs.
As it stands, the Cowboys have no plan to abandon their goal of playing healthy starters, but the number of starters who are healthy is rapidly dwindling.
