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The Cowboys had hoped to use their bye week to get healthy, bringing several injured players back to action for the difficult 11-game gauntlet that will comprise the remainder of the 2024 season.
On Wednesday, one veteran took a big step closer to a return to the field, though how much difference it will make is a matter of opinion.
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 18 under somewhat confusing circumstances, has had his 21-day practice window opened by the club. The Cowboys now have three weeks to evaluate the 32-year-old and decide if they want to move him to the active roster or end his season.
Jordan Phillips back on the practice field after his IR stint with a wrist injury. pic.twitter.com/726dIC904r
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 23, 2024
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Phillips, originally a second-round draft pick by the Dolphins in 2015 and also a former Bill and Cardinal, was traded to Dallas in the middle of August after he spent the summer with the Giants.
But the 330-pounder played only sparingly once the Cowboys’ season got underway. He logged 15 defensive snaps in Week 1 versus Cleveland and played just 19 more the following week against New Orleans.
It was after that game that the Cowboys placed Phillips on IR. Team owner Jerry Jones said the lineman had been “favoring his wrist,” even though the Oklahoma product claimed at the time that he knew nothing about it and said his wrist was fine when asked.
At the time, his PFF grade stood at 29.6, among the lowest in the league for a defensive lineman.
Phillips had indeed undergone surgery the year prior to repair a dislocated wrist, but based on his own comments, many wondered if the Cowboys were really making the move in order to give Phillips a four-week window to perhaps improve his conditioning and better acclimate himself to Mike Zimmer’s defense.
After six games, the Cowboys are giving up an average of 143.2 rushing yards per game, the sixth-worst mark of all defenses leaguewide. They have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, a total surpassed only by Carolina.
The Dallas defense has also been without Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, Eric Kendricks, and Caelen Carson at various points this season. Sam Williams and DaRon Bland have not played at all in the Cowboys’ six games.
The Cowboys’ next five opponents all currently rank in the top half of the NFL in rushing yards per contest. Three of them- San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington- are in the top seven, so reinforcements along the defensive line will be most welcome.