A new week is here as the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 training camp continues. America's Team has been hard at work last week as head coach Brian Schottenheimer prepares for his first season leading the Cowboys, emphasizing how important it is for veterans and rookies alike to impress their new bench boss.
This year's training camp roster includes plenty of new faces after the Cowboys had a more active start to the offseason than last year. One of Dallas' early signings saw them add veteran offensive lineman Robert Jones to a one-year, $3.75 million contract. After long-time All-Pro blocker Zack Martin retired earlier in the year, the Cowboys thought signing Jones would help ease the transition into a new era.
Unfortunately, Jones' time in the Lone Star State is already off to a concerning start.
Cowboys OG Robert Jones to Miss 2-3 Months with Neck Injury
Cowboys fans shouldn't expect to see Jones on the gridiron anytime soon. On Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the 26-year-old Rockford, IL native "is expected to miss 2-3 months" after he "broke a bone in his neck during Sunday's practice."
Sources: Cowboys guard Rob Jones, who has been working with the starting unit during the early part of training camp, broke a bone in his neck during Sunday’s practice and now is expected to miss 2-3 months, per @toddarcher and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2025
Assuming Schefter's timeframe is correct, Jones likely might not make his Cowboys debut until sometime between late September and the end of October. Neck injuries are serious, so Schottenheimer & Co. will likely give the free-agent signing as much time as he needs to heal.
Jones' neck injury is already the second ailment he's dealt with since putting pen to paper with the Cowboys. He suffered an undisclosed injury during Dallas' mandatory minicamp in June, which held him out of the subsequent sessions, and now he's going to miss the rest of his first training camp with the franchise.
Hopefully, Jones has a quick and smooth recovery so that he can return to the offensive line sooner rather than later. He brings 49 regular-season games (30 starts) of experience to the table, and even played a career-high 1,080 snaps with the Miami Dolphins last season, resulting in 56.3 run blocking and 54.3 pass protection grades on Pro Football Focus.
With Jones sidelined for the next few months, the Cowboys will turn to their other backup guards to step up in the meantime. Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass could step up as they enter their third and fourth seasons, respectively, with the franchise, while offseason addition T.J. Bass could also use the opportunity to impress Schottenheimer's staff.
Regardless of who steps up, it's encouraging to know that the Cowboys have a handful of backup options waiting in the wings. If they can weather the storm, Dallas could be in a good spot for Jones to hit the ground running when he returns.