OXNARD, Calif. – Football is officially back. The Dallas Cowboys will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday’s preseason Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. The meeting will officially kick off at 7 p.m. Central Time.
Players will once again hit the turf in pads but many familiar faces on the Cowboys’ roster will not be making the cross-country trip to Canton, including players returning from an offseason injury or players dealing with one suffered during training camp. The staff is taking precautionary measures by keeping several cornerstone players out of the ballgame.
One of the most notable players not traveling is quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has been restricted to non-throwing drills in Oxnard after straining a muscle in his right shoulder. No. 4 has not encountered a setback of any kind but regarding his workload, the team is taking a step back to evaluate his progress day-by-day. They are taking a more “conservative” approach according to head coach Mike McCarthy.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Amari Cooper are also among the compilation of players not making the trip to Canton. Lawrence is still recovering from back surgery and discussed he is in “phase three” of four in his rehab process. The timeline for return is up to the training staff and Amari Cooper is not 100 percent. He is still working his way back from ankle surgery. The process has taken longer than anticipated after an old injury began bothering him after removing the bone spoors that “jammed” his foot, according to Cooper.
They will stay back and continue rehab in order to accelerate the growth process.
Here is the full list of players not going to Canton:
DE Bradlee Anae
OT Josh Ball
LB Francis Bernard
WR Amari Cooper (Active/PUP list)
DE Chauncey Golston (Active/PUP list)
CB C.J. Goodwin
DT Trysten Hill (Active/PUP list)
S Malik Hooker
TE Blake Jarwin
DE DeMarcus Lawrence
CB Jourdan Lewis
RG Zack Martin
QB Dak Prescott
LT Tyron Smith
WR T.J. Vasher (Active/Non-Football related injury list)
K Greg Zuerlein (Active/PUP list)
