Cowboys' Star Could Miss Start Of Camp

Dak Prescott has fully recovered from last year’s season-ending injury, but another Dallas Cowboys star is battling a health issue. Amari Cooper missed this week’s minicamp and might not be able to participate at the start of training camp.

Cooper doesn’t have a significant injury, but he’s been dealing with an irritation in his ankle for about two weeks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Cooper might not run for another few weeks, Rapoport reports, since the only treatment is rest.

“As far as Amari, Amari has the ankle that he’s still working through,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said at a news conference. “He won't participate the rest of the minicamp. I’m just hopeful he'll be ready for training camp.”

Cowboys training camp starts July 27. Dallas is scheduled to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game a week later on Aug. 5. With the introduction of the new 17-game regular season, only the Cowboys and Steelers will play four exhibition contests.

The NFL’s full 2021 preseason schedule was released Thursday. Dallas will visit the Arizona Cardinals Friday, Aug. 13 at 10 p.m. ET. In Week 2 of the preseason, the Cowboys host the Houston Texans on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. Dallas’ final preseason game is set to take place at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. ET against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Week 1 of the regular season opens with the Cowboys visiting the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday, Sept. 9.

With a healthy roster, Dallas is the favorite in the NFC East. Prescott led the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense in 2019 when he last played a full season. Cooper has recorded two straight 1,110-yard seasons, even as he was forced to receive passes from several backup Cowboys quarterbacks in 2020.

Dallas has missed the playoffs two years in a row for the first time since 2013.

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