Mike McCarthy shares updates on Terence Steele, Tony Pollard, Luke Schoonmaker's injuries

The Dallas Cowboys began their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with a short list of limited participants.

Fourth-year tackle Terence Steele is still making his way back from knee surgery after his injury in December. He will be one to watch when the team heads to Oxnard, California, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. Dallas has been working with a number of options to fill in Steele’s hole at right tackle this offseason.

Although most of the injured players should be full-go by training camp, defensive back Jourdan Lewis won’t be among them. McCarthy shared that Lewis, who suffered a Lisfranc injury in October last season, will likely start training camp on the PUP list.

The Cowboys head coach added that the team is just “being smart” with the injured players, including starting running back Tony Pollard.

Pollard told reporters last week that he’s “ahead of schedule” after suffering a high ankle sprain and fracture in the postseason. He practiced in a limited fashion during OTAs.

“Right now, I’m feeling really good about where I am — a little bit ahead of schedule,” Pollard said on Thursday, via the team website. “Being able to get out there for the walkthrough parts and to be out there with the team, get out there and get my feet wet. I’m not really limited at this point. It’s just [about] being smart with it. Just trying to work my way back in slowly and make sure I’m in tip-top shape so there’s not a fall-off.”

Schoonmaker recovering from minor foot injury

Asked specifically about rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker, Mike McCarthy revealed he anticipates him being ready to go by training camp next month. Schoonmaker has a case of plantar fasciitis, a minor foot injury.

“Luke’s doing good,” McCarthy said. “If they’re not out there practicing, I don’t anticipate anyone having an issue come training camp. Steele, we’ll have to see when we get to Oxnard.”

Schoonmaker closed out OTAs with minimal participation on Thursday as reporters spotted the tight end wearing a walking boot. Although he was off to the side for the majority of Thursday’s practice, he was still catching passes.

The Dallas Cowboys selected the Michigan tight end in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 58 pick.

Last season for the Wolverines, Schoonmaker had 35 catches, 418 yards, three touchdowns and 11.9 yards per catch. Over the course of his career, he accumulated 54 catches, 637 yards, and seven touchdowns.

The rookie is one part of the Cowboys’ four-man tight end stable. Although perhaps no single tight end will make up for Dalton Schultz‘s production over the last two seasons, it seems Dallas hopes the group as a whole can. Schultz had 577 receiving yards last season, down from 808 in 2021.