With nine players and a coach being placed in COVID-19 protocols over the last three weeks, the Dallas Cowboys know more than ever that the pandemic is real and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
The team now faces the possibility of playing in Thursday’s season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers without their best offensive player in Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin.
Martin has not officially been ruled out.
But coach Mike McCarthy admits it’s the longest of long shots with him needing to be symptom free and pass two COVID-19 tests before the team embarks for Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
“I would say he’s as close to being out as you could possibly rule out,” McCarthy said. “There’s a protocol. We will follow the protocol to the game.”
McCarthy said the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL are better prepared than last year in handling the COVID-19 crisis because of the experience and vaccinations.
But he he has made a point to talk his team about being careful, especially when they are away from the facility.
“I mean one thing about it, we are in Year 2 so I think we understand where the risks are, the hot spots,” McCarthy said. “To me it’s like a lot of things we do in our professional and our personal life, you’re assessing risk. Just being in tune with where you are, who you’re with, just trying to be as safe as possible.”
Receiver Noah Brown and guard Brandon Knight are also on the NFL’s COVID-19 list heading into Thursday’s game.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb, safety Malik Hooker, safety Damontae Kazee, safety Israel Mukuamu, defensive tackle Carlos Watkins and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have all missed time due to COVID-19 protocols since Aug. 21.
“Looking back on it, that was the best time to get it, if you were to get it,” Lamb said. “Be back for Thursday, Week 1. Back to doing what I love.”
But while Lamb said he has always taken COVID-19 seriously, he said his situation was another wake-up call for himself and his teammates.
He felt he was doing everything right while being vaccinated and following protocols.
“It’s definitely a tough situation we’re going through in that we’re battling, we’re focusing on limiting those situations,” Lamb said. “The exposure was going on, it’s just kind of unfortunate on our end when we do everything right and not really understanding where it’s coming from. But at this point, we’ve just got to play it safe.”
Lamb said he lost his sense of smell and taste after testing positive.
“I couldn’t taste my toothpaste for like a week,” Lamb said. “And then I was like, ‘wait a minute’. I literally stopped and looked in the mirror and was like, ‘whoa’. I could taste it again. It was mint. Imagine not tasting mint for a week and then just understanding like, wow, you really can’t taste anything.
“It’s real. Take it serious, bro. That’s my message.”
The message the Cowboys have learned is it’s something they will have to deal with all season.
They need to protect themselves but also prepare for the possibility of being without key players for some games.
“First things first, you got to protect yourself,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said. “You got to wear your mask. You got to make sure you’re going through all the protocols. You got to make sure you’re not putting yourself in any vulnerable situations.
“And then, you just got to be ready for anything. Be ready for the inevitable. We got to be ready mentally to know that maybe this week we might a have a guy next week we might not have.”
