The Dallas Cowboys head into Week 5 with solid momentum stemming from a one-sided 38-3 win over the New England Patriots. Next up on the schedule is a huge Sunday Night Football showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, meaning the Cowboys need all hands on deck to snag the critical win.
Unfortunately, Dallas will continue to be without depth pieces CB Nashon Wright and OT Matt Waletzko, who've yet to play in 2023 due to ankle and shoulder injuries, respectively.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed on Wednesday that the team won't be activating either Wright or Waletzko's 21-day practice window in Week 5, per Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said neither CB Nahshon Wright (ankle) nor OT Matt Waletzko (shoulder) will have his 21-day practice window activated this week. Both are on IR with injuries that are not season-ending. pic.twitter.com/JtTeB7f7Tm
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 4, 2023
Dallas Cowboys Injury News
The NFL requires players to miss a minimum of four games if they're placed on the injured reserve, which is why Cowboys fans hoped to see Wright and Waletzko activated in Week 5. The good news is that Gehlken added that the injuries "are not season-ending," so hopefully the duo isn't on the shelf much longer.
Wright joined Dallas when he was selected 99th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. While he's spent most of his time playing on special teams, he's still managed to defend 4 passes with an interception and 24 solo tackles across 20 career games (3 starts) for the Cowboys.
Considering how Dallas is without star CB Trevon Diggs for the rest of the campaign, adding a strong depth option like Wright would help a lot.
As for Waletzko, drafted No. 155 in 2022, his injury is a bit more concerning, especially with LT Tyron Smith (knee) and RG Zack Martin (quad) both dealing with injuries as well.
The 23-year-old has been dealing with shoulder issues dating back to the 2022 preseason. He couldn't shake the injury bug no matter what he did, resulting in the Cowboys shutting him down in October after only playing 12 total snaps over three games.
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