We’re living in complicated times nowadays.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on every single aspect of our day-to-day life, and not even sports were safe from its burden.
The NFL’s health and safety protocols have allowed the show to go on through the pandemic. But still, some teams and players haven’t been able to be out there on the gridiron, either due to health or personal issues.
That’s the case with Dallas Cowboys’ star Amari Cooper, who decided not to get the vaccine and will now face the consequences.
Prescott Says He'll Stand By His Teammate
Even so, quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t want to condemn his teammate’s personal choices.
While confirming that he was vaccinated, he didn’t want to throw Cooper under the bus for his decision:
"I mean, it’s unfortunate not having him," Prescott told media, per CBS Sports."To say the decision he made, I mean I’m vaccinated and I could get it and be out two games. Let’s try not to knock the guy or put the guy down for a personal decision. I don’t think there’s anybody that comes back under 10 days."
Amari Cooper Will Miss More Games After Positive COVID-19 Test
The former Alabama player tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss last Sunday’s tilt with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moreover, now that the Cowboys will be on a short week and play on Thursday again, the star wideout won’t get the chance to suit up against his former team Las Vegas Raiders, either.
The league requires unvaccinated players to be quarantined for at least 10 days and return two negative tests 24 hours apart before being cleared back into action.
Cowboys Will Need A Lot Of Help
This couldn’t have come at the worst time for Mike McCarthy’s team, as their offense was already pretty decimated as it is.
Ezekiel Elliott was spotted limping once again and confirmed that his knee is bothering him again, while CeeDee Lamb is unlikely to play on Thursday after suffering a head injury against the Chiefs.
“Just the same knee, the same knee injury I’ve been dealing with. It’s feeling better, but I rolled up on it, and kind of hurt it. Overall, it’s definitely getting better," Elliott said, as quoted by ClutchPoints.
Prescott Trust His Teammates To Step Up
Even so, Prescott is fully confident in his team’s ability to win despite being down their top-two receivers:
"It’s just an opportunity for other guys to step up and make plays," Prescott said. "We’ve had different guys, including myself, go out week after week and other guys have had to step in and make those plays. It’s challenging when you’re missing a guy like Amari, who is such a playmaker and dynamic, but we’ve got to be able to win without him."
The Cowboys are currently sitting at a 7-3 record and will face a Raiders team that’s craving a win after three straight losses, so Prescott better be right and his teammates will be ready to fill in the void.
]]>The Inquisitr
