Brandin Cooks injury update: Mike McCarthy reveals positive news on Cowboys WR

The Dallas Cowboys have been without Brandin Cooks for the last four games, missing their WR2. Placing him on injured reserved forced him to miss those games but with a bye week in there too, Cooks has had five weeks to recover. Now, he is eligible to return for Sunday’s contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Head coach Mike McCarthy is not sure if Cooks will play, though. When asked about the wide receiver’s status, McCarthy did not have a definite answer. There does appear to be positive steps taken as the Cowboys’ pass game has taken a few brutal hits in recent weeks.

“Mike McCarthy says Brandin Cooks is ‘feeling better’ but doesn’t have a status for his return yet. He’s eligible to play Sunday against the Eagles,” Tommy Yarish of DallasCowboys.com said via X.

Cooks has caught just nine passes for 91 yards and a touchdown this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott was not shy about throwing him the ball with 19 targets but just did not connect much. A catch rate under 50% is well below Cooks’ career average.

But even if there is a return for the Philadelphia game, Cooks will not be on the receiving end of passes from Prescott. Cooper Rush is set to start for the Cowboys after Prescott’s injury against Atlanta on Sunday. A stint of his own to injured reserved might be on the cards for the newly-extended quarterback.

CeeDee Lamb is not guaranteed to be on the field either, meaning Dallas could be without its perceived top two receivers and quarterbacks. Not the recipe you want heading into a critical divisional matchup.

McCarthy has to be hoping Cooks continues to progress and finds a way to return and potentially giving Rush an outside weapon.