Injury Report: Four Cowboys miss Wednesday practice with fresh injury

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys resumed their practice sessions on Wednesday afternoon, gearing up for the upcoming match against the Miami Dolphins and aiming to rebound from their recent loss to the Buffalo Bills on the road.

At the start of the practice week, a few players were absent from the field. Some were taking scheduled rest days for veterans, while others, including DT Johnathan Hankins, S Malik Hooker, and OG Zack Martin, were sidelined due to injuries. Additionally, OT Tyron Smith was also unavailable due to a back injury.

Hankins, who missed the Buffalo game due to an ankle injury sustained against the Eagles, may not be ready to play in Miami, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy mentioned, “He’s doing better, but he’d be hard-pressed to go this week. He’s a little better.”

Martin suffered a quad injury during the second possession in Buffalo when his knee collided with his lower thigh. This caused him to miss the remainder of the contest as he described feeling a loss of strength and his leg “not firing.”

Hooker, who missed the Buffalo game due to an ankle injury from the Eagles match, joined the rehab group on Wednesday. Both Hooker and Martin, in their efforts to recover from their injuries for the Miami game, were part of the Wednesday group but did not participate much during practice. McCarthy mentioned before the practice, “They’re both in the Wednesday group, so they won’t do much today,” and both were listed as DNP (Did Not Participate) on the Wednesday practice report.

To manage player workload and provide rest, the Cowboys granted veteran rest days to WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, and CB Jourdan Lewis.