Cowboys News: Injury updates for 3 young players, Rush cements QB2 spot

The Cowboys’ weekend trip to Seattle was a costly one. Three important bench players went down with injuries, and only one got any sort of encouraging news by Sunday night. We have the latest on what the team will do moving forward with a pair of promising rookies now lost for the season. We’re also recapping the biggest moments and most pertinent takeaways from the loss just in case you couldn’t make it into the wee hours to see the whole game.

Elsewhere, Jalen Tolbert’s remarkable turnaround, Quinton Bohanna’s race to prove his value, and Cooper Rush’s apparent stranglehold on the backup quarterback job. We’ll look at Dak Prescott’s chances of seeing the field in the preseason finale and put his training camp performance into perspective. We’ll tell you which NFC East rival is losing a veteran linebacker only weeks after signing him, and we’ll tell you who just brought a near-record crowd to AT&T Stadium. All that and more in this edition of News and Notes.

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Mike McCarthy held onto hope that Overshown’s MRI results would come back with encouraging news, especially because the rookie had put in so much work to make a strong first impression in camp. “He’s had an incredible camp,” the coach said. “We talk about him, it seems like, almost every other day [in these press conferences]. I just hope he’s okay.”

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The team’s worst fears were confirmed Sunday when imaging showed an ACL tear for Overshown. But the Lumen Field turf also claimed UDFA tight end John Stephens Jr. as an ACL casualty, too. Both rookies will miss the entire 2023 season after turning in very impressive camp performances.

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While Overshown and Stephens are done for the year, Matt Waletzko got some good news. His latest shoulder injury is not the same as the one (on his other shoulder) that ended his rookie campaign. Depth is an issue at linebacker and O-line, so expect to hear talk of Dallas seeking veteran backup help via free agency or trade.

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The Cowboys aren’t the only NFC East team who just got a little thinner at linebacker. Myles Jack has told the Eagles he’s retiring from the NFL after signing a one-year contract with the club on Aug. 6. Jack started 95 games over seven seasons for the Jaguars and Steelers, posting 617 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

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Will Grier performed better in his second preseason game then he did in his first, but Rush appears to have the clear upper hand in the race to QB2. He threw for 96 yards and a score on Saturday, leading the offense on an impressive 17-play, 80-yard drive that took seven minutes and 48 seconds off the clock.

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Prescott hasn’t gotten in a preseason game since 2019. Some suspected he might at some point this year just to get some reps with his head coach calling plays in a live-game situation (much like Aaron Rodgers will see time in the Jets’ preseason finale in order to help get acclimated with his new team). But there is no indication the Cowboys are considering trotting out No. 4 for their clash with the Raiders next weekend.

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Prescott had a 65.3 completion percentage during the Oxnard portion of camp and threw 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions; that’s awfully close to his 2021 season-long numbers. His head coach is a believer, but the whispers about his consistency will continue until Prescott delivers on the field once the games count.

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Viewed by many as a bust after last season, the second-year receiver has topped his rookie stats in just two preseason games. He spoke of regaining his confidence this offseason, something his coaches have taken note of. Tolbert may have cemented his status as the team’s WR4 for 2023, with an eye toward continuing to improve even further.

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After struggling to make much of an impact in Year 1 and failing to take the next step early in Year 2, Bohanna saw his team trade for veteran Johnathan Hankins, who took the spot originally meant for the Kentucky product. Bohanna is currently having the best camp of his career, but now he has to try to nudge past Hankins and first-round pick Mazi Smith if he’s going to even make the team.

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While the Cowboys were in the Pacific Northwest, heavy metal legends Metallica took over their home stadium in Arlington. Their Friday concert at AT&T Stadium likely drew about 100,000 fans, eclipsing the attendance at each of the three shows Taylor Swift put on there in the spring. Metallica’s stage was set in the center of the stadium floor, allowing every seat in the venue to be sold; Swift’s setup kept about 20% of seats blocked and therefore unsold.