Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Matt Farniok returns to practice for Week 18

The Dallas Cowboys are welcoming offensive lineman Matt Farniok back to the practice field on Wednesday. Farniok, a center drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, suffered a torn hamstring in October and moved to the injured reserve.

With his 21-day practice window opening on Wednesday, the former Nebraska standout has several weeks to get back on the field, which means the Cowboys could use him during their playoff run.

Heading into a Week 18 must-win matchup versus the Washington Commanders, Dallas is down a center due to the injury to Tyler Biadasz. Farniok was the center behind Biadasz on the depth chart at the beginning of the season. He played consistently through the first few games of the season before the injury took him out.

With Biadasz out and Farniok still working his way back to playing condition, the Cowboys moved left guard Connor McGovern to center on Thursday versus the Titans. So far, the plan is to keep McGovern at center with Tyler Smith at left guard and Jason Peters at left tackle.

Also expected to return to the practice field on Wednesday is running back Tony Pollard. Pollard sat out of the Week 17 win over Tennessee, however, he told reporters that if it was a playoff game, he would have played.

Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz ‘out’ for Week 18

After receiving a positive diagnosis for a high-ankle sprain on Friday, Tyler Biadasz is likely to sit out of the team’s Week 18 game versus Washington. Mike McCarthy shared that the former starter will begin rehab this weekend in the hopes that he will be ready to play again in time for playoffs.

“His scan was positive,” McCarthy said. “He’ll start rehabbing in the morning. I don’t think he’ll be available for Washington but it’s better than we anticipated, so that was good news.”

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones also shared some glimmer of optimism on Friday while on with 105.3 The Fan.

“We feel like he’s got a real chance to make it back for our first playoff game,” Jones said. “He’s had that high ankle before on the same ankle, and believe it or not, when it’s the second time around, those guys tend to recover a little faster.”

Biadasz, a fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2020, took over as Dallas’s starting center ahead of the 2021 season and started every game since. In his rookie season, he started four games in place of an injured Joe Looney. On Thursday night, he went down ahead of the fourth quarter and after taking a cart to the locker room, he returned to the sideline in street clothes with a boot on his foot.