Cowboys Receive Brutal Injury Update On Offensive Piece

The Dallas Cowboys have had a few different players nicked up with bumps and bruises throughout training camp. Nothing seemed too significant, however, as many of the players were expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Disappointingly, that doesn’t sound like it will be the case with offensive lineman Josh Ball. Ball was injured in the Cowboys’ final preseason game of the year against the Las Vegas Raiders over the weekend.

On Monday, Cowboys’ head coach Mike McCarthy noted that the injury Ball suffered was a significant one and would cost him multiple weeks of action. That became official on Tuesday during cut-down day.

Dallas didn’t move on from Ball, as he made the initial 53-man roster. It was a procedural move, however, as Ball was quickly placed on the injured reserve. The Cowboys had to do it that way to ensure that he would be allowed to return at some point during the 2023 season.

Being placed on IR Tuesday means that Ball will miss at least the first four weeks of the season, but is eligible to return at any point after that. Ball’s loss is a significant one for the Cowboys, whose depth along the offensive line will be tested the first few weeks of the season.

In the preseason, Ball started the first two games at right guard and the third game at right tackle. That kind of versatility is key for a team to have in the regular season and Ball will certainly be missed.

In his absence, the team could turn to Asim Richards to be their versatile player off the bench. With Matt Waletzko also heading to the IR, the Cowboys are going to be digging deep into their offensive line depth for at least the first month of the season.