The Dallas Cowboys' offense took a big hit with CeeDee Lamb's injury, or so it seemed. On paper, losing their best player was going to be a massive blow, but in reality, they've put up 40 and 37 points over the past couple of weeks.
Now, it seems like he could be back on the field either in Week 6 or Week 7. Per team executive Stephen Jones, the Cowboys could get most of their injured players back from injury to face the Washington Commanders:
"Stephen Jones says on 105.3 The Fan that CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Booker, Tyler Smith, Tyler Guyton and KaVontae Turpin are in a group that is possible to be back in the next two weeks," reported Tommy Yarrish on X. "Guys who might be a little longer are Cooper Beebe and DeMarvion Overshown, but Jones said it would be 'not a lot past the bye.'"
CeeDee Lamb's Return Could Force Cowboys to Make a Trade
While that's great news for the team, the coaching staff, and the fans, it might actually mean trouble for Jalen Tolbert. The former third-round pick has seen his playing time fall over the past couple of weeks, and he might be the odd man out upon Lamb's return.
Tolbert failed to record a single reception and only logged one target in the win over the New York Jets. He also saw his snap share fall to 76.7 percent in Week 5 after playing 87.8 percent and 81.2 percent, respectively, in the past couple of weeks.
The Cowboys expect to have Jonathan Mingo back from Injured Reserve soon, as they officially opened his 21-day window to return, and he's back to practice. And with KaVontae Turpin also working his way back, the Cowboys would be all set in the wide receiver/return specialist department.
To add insult to injury, Tolbert saw Ryan Flournoy break out against the Jets. He made the most of the opportunity by hauling in six of nine targets for 104 yards, showing strong chemistry with Dak Prescott; as a result, he may have moved past Tolbert in the pecking order.
Targets were going to be scarce with Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson there. Still, Tolbert's ability to contribute on special teams makes him a valuable asset, which is all the more reason why the Cowboys should strongly consider shipping him. They have more mouths that they can feed, and you can never have too much draft capital.