FRISCO, Texas – Bad enough Pro Bowl QB Dak Prescott has missed the past seven games, and will miss the next two, for a total of nine.
Bad enough Pro Bowl DE DeMarcus Lawrence has missed the last 11 games, and likely the next two for a grand total of 13.
Bad enough Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin, trying for several weeks to play through an ankle injury, has missed the past five games and will miss the next two for a total of seven after having surgery.
Bad enough two-time Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs has missed four of the past five games, and will miss the final two, too, for six "did not plays."
Bad enough Pro Bowl CB DaRon Bland missed the first 10 games of the season before returning to play the past five and health willing will play the next two.
Bad enough Pro Bowl DE/LB Micah Parsons has missed four games, Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson three and two-time Pro Bowl WR Brandin Cooks seven.
That comes to six of the Top 10 salaries on the TV this season missing a significant number of games.
All bad enough, right.
But the hits keep on coming.
Now it's Pro Bowl WR CeeDee Lamb, stretching the number of players with Top 10 salaries to seven now, the Cowboys announcing the NFL's second co-leader in receptions (101), third in receiving yards (1,194) and the Cowboys co-leader with six touchdowns, is done for the season, to miss the final two games.
Come on, seriously?
Been told never to ask "what's next" this 2024 season full of calamity, because with this team (7-8) now heading into Sunday's noon start in Philadelphia (13-2) and needing to win the final two games (Washington in Game 17) to finish with a winning record, "next" is lurking right around the corner. (See backup starting cornerback Amani Oruwariye out Sunday with a foot injury.)
Now we are quite aware of what CeeDee has been playing through with that sprained A.C. joint in his right shoulder for at least the past seven games, still catching 48 passes for 534yards the past seven games, seemingly needing a minute every time he's tackled when landing on the bum shoulder but pressing on for the good of the team.
Lamb had been an absolute beast in this past game, the remarkable 26-24 victory over Tampa Bay, catching seven passes for 105 yards before he took a partial knee with the Cowboys leading 26-14. But with the pain increasing and the Cowboys officially eliminated from playoff contention, all involved made a very prudent decision this week to finally to sit him down.
"The guy is an absolute warrior," says OC Brian Shottenheimer.
"CeeDee has been incredible battling through week in and week out," says head coach Mike McCarthy.
But you know what, and this might be one of the more remarkable characteristics of a team having turned a 3-7 start into 7-8 with the two games to play, CeeDee is not the Lone Ranger when coming to playing through pain.
Take Jourdan Lewis. The nickel corner has a ligament issue in his elbow, and the past two weeks has been playing with a brace to help the elbow function. Was told that if Lewis was a pitcher, he'd be done for the season. And Lewis confirmed, knowing he doesn't need to throw pitches but that "If I was a pitcher I'd be done for the season." Now J-Lew says he won't need post-season surgery, just needs rest but not will to get any, even though listed as questionable for the Eagles game Sunday. But this guy is giving it up for the team, though knowing he's in the final year of his contract.
Take veteran middle linebacker Eric Kendricks. For seemingly a month the team's leading tackler has been nursing a calf injury. Not practicing during the week but playing at a Pro Bowl level in game after game. Has totaled double-digit tackles in four of five games before giving in Sunday night, admitting he couldn't go.
"That's the NFL," Kendricks says of guys like him playing through injuries. "Same for so many guys, that's the whole league," as if to downplay any thought of heroics. "Made that decision a long time ago. My late dad told me, 'Are you sure you want to play that sport.'"
We'll see if the game off gets him back on the field Sunday, though limited in practice this week and listed as questionable for the game.
Or how about Kendricks' MLB backup Nick Vigil, primarily a special teams player.Injured his foot in the Cowboys Week 5 victory over the Steelers. Has rarely practiced on a regular basis since but hasn't missed a game since, and in fact starting for Kendricks against Tampa Bay, only to lead the team with 10 tackles while playing 96 percent of the defensive snaps.
The guy did not practice last week, only getting out there for the Saturday light workout, with the same routine this week, yet still figuring to play on Sunday.
"Couple years since I played a whole game," Vigil said, but play he did.
Let's consider third year receiver Jalen Tolbert, his six touchdown receptions tying Lamb for the team lead. During the second half of the Tampa Bay game, already having caught a touchdown pass from Cooper Rush, suffered a compound dislocation of the left pinky finger when getting caught on a Bucs jersey. Understand what compound means. The dislocation at the lower joint caused the bone to protrude through the skin. Could have done without nice guy Jalen showing me the picture of the dislocated bone poking through the skin, needing four stitches he said to close the wound.
But there he sat Thursday at his locker his dislocated finger that had been relocated, bandaged and wrapped to his ring finger. Yet did everything in practice but catch passes, insisting he'd be ready to go on Sunday.
And if truth be known when Micah Parsons missed those four games with that high ankle sprain, yet since in the past seven games playing at a high level, he admits while returning to play didn't really feel himself those first two games back. Still played the best he could.
Look, these are the guys we know for sure having played through some painful injuries. And remember, before Martin finally gave in, he was playing through that ankle that required surgery first bothering him back in training camp.
Schottenheimer had a way of describing what these guys go through when asked about Lamb's performance, knowing the pain he had been suffering in his shoulder.
"Most guys this time of year are beat up, all dealing with stuff, the training room (Monday) was a busy place to be, which you would expect this late in the season," Schottenheimer began, before lapsing into Lamb talk, saying, "He loves to compete. He loves to play the game. He loves his brothers. He wants to be out there for them.
"On the big go ball down there on their boundary, he got thrown to the ground pretty hard. You knew that one hurt. You were wondering if he's going to be able to come back. He just needed a couple of plays. "The guy is amazing. He's an elite player. As a competitor, it's probably not talked enough about how the guy competes on the field, in practice."
And his effort was not lost on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, either, saying this week, "For him to be showing the way the way he was playing through that injury, that's the ultimate leadership."
Well, at this point in the season, enough is enough for Lamb, Et Tu, CeeDee.
That means now No. 1 receiver is out, and not just any No. 1 receiver. We're talking about the guy who led the NFL in receptions last year, setting the Cowboys single-season record at 135, and now is currently tied for the No. 2 spot this year and third in receiving yards. And remember, Lamb has done all this after missing the entire offseason, training camp and preseason games in a contract dispute, consequently getting off to a slow start, having caught no more than five passes in any of the first three games and but two touchdowns in the first six games.
On top of his now physical loss, there goes the guy with the sixth highest cap hit this season. And hate to say it, but still with two games to play on this drive to at least finish with a winning record, despite the numerous injuries, the loss of CeeDee adding to that seemingly growing number.
Some season, eh.
