Mike McCarthy reveals Randy Gregory status ahead of week three

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed the availability status of defensive end Randy Gregory on Monday during a press conference. After missing the Cowboys’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday with COVID-19, Gregory will return to the team on Wednesday.

McCarthy gives Randy Gregory return date

“My understanding is Randy will be in the building Wednesday, [that] is when he’ll return,” stated McCarthy on Gregory’s return to the team.

The Cowboys were without Gregory on their defensive line Sunday after he tested positive for COVID-19. As he clears protocols, his return will be a boost to a line that already is struggling with the loss of star DeMarcus Lawrence.

When asked a follow-up question about how losing a player so late in the week affects your game plan as a coach, McCarthy quoted the late head coach Marty Schottenheimer who gave McCarthy his first job on an NFL staff.

“Usually the first thing — and I learned this from Marty Schottenheimer — when you’re an assistant coach you really don’t like it, but now that you’re head coach you completely understand it. You usually cut your volume. Anytime you have sudden change, whether it’s in the game [or] personnel during the week, the normal process is you cut back on your volume.”

Amari Cooper update

During his press conference, McCarthy also answered the big question about the status of Amari Cooper who left the game late with injury.

McCarthy gave a timeline for when they would know more about Cooper’s injury.

“We had a couple guys [injured],” stated McCarthy. “Amari had the ribs. We’ll see Wednesday how he feels. We’ll go a mock game on Wednesday.”

When asked if the injury was a bruise or more severe like a cracked rib, McCarthy explained that it wasn’t being treated as a severe injury.

“I would put it in the classification as bruised.”

“It was that play and then it was something he’d been dealing with a little bit from last week,” McCarthy said when asked if Cooper’s injury came from an early collision in the end zone.

The Cowboys enter week three with a 1-1 record and will be hosting their division rival Philadelphia Eagles in a Monday Night Football home game.