The Dallas Cowboys are trying to climb out of a 1-2-1 start to the season, and things would go a lot smoother if they had CeeDee Lamb. The star receiver suffered a high ankle sprain during the Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears, and an original two-to-four week timetable for recovery meant that Dallas would be looking at almost a month without their top playmaker.
While Lamb missed last week’s tie with the Green Bay Packers, there appears to be some progress in his recovery. The Athletic’s Jon Machota noted that Lamb was no longer wearing a walking boot due to the injury and was doing rehab work during Wednesday’s practice. Although the report suggests Lamb could be back sooner than expected, the Cowboys would be wise to take caution and use another week or two before allowing him to return to the field.
CeeDee Lamb’s Injury Timeline Suggests Cowboys Should Play It Safe
Lamb’s return to the practice field didn't necessarily mean his return to game action was around the corner. Machota also added that while head coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted he and fellow injured Cowboy Tyler Booker were progressing, they would “see how the week goes” (h/t @jonmachota) before determining their status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Both Lamb and owner Jerry Jones hinted that Lamb’s injury wasn’t a big deal in the hours after the loss to the Bears. But the medical staff stepped in, first not allowing Lamb to return to the game and then giving the official diagnosis after testing the following day.
Considering how most medical experts projected an up-to-one-month absence, that makes getting Lamb back on the field for Sunday’s game a bad decision. With the next two games being against the 0-4 New York Jets and 1-3 Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys can afford to rest Lamb before hosting the rival Washington Commanders on Oct. 19.
While the Cowboys would love to have Lamb back, they also held their own by putting up 40 points against the Packers on Sunday night. Hanging a 40-burger on a defense that was considered one of the best teams in the NFL coming into the game is one thing, but the Cowboys revealed a new threat with George Pickens, catching eight passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
With Pickens possessing the ability to be explosive without Lamb and two winnable games on the schedule, it would be wise to keep Dallas' WR1 out and have him ready for an NFC East showdown. The Cowboys might be tempted to bring Lamb back sooner than expected, but giving him extra rest is the best path to take here.