The Dallas Cowboys will be without Andy Dalton for a second week in a row, but it won’t be because of a concussion.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys placed Dalton on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
“The Dallas Cowboys will be without quarterback Andy Dalton for a second straight game but not because of the concussion he sustained two weeks ago. Dalton will be placed on the reserve/COVID 19 list on Tuesday, which will knock him out of Sunday’s game.”
The Cowboys could look to start Ben DiNucci for a second week in a row. In the team’s 23-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, DiNucci finished with 180 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two fumbles.
However, based on owner Jerry Jones’ comments, the team might look at other options.
“I think we certainly, as a team, paid the price to have him come in under those circumstances,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “And that’s almost trite. It was, frankly, more than he could handle. I don’t know what you could have expected for somebody to come in under those circumstances.”
Two different NFL reporters have confirmed that the Cowboys are looking at options outside of their 2020 seventh-round pick.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cowboys are leaning towards starting Garrett Gilbert this Sunday against the 7-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The #Cowboys plan to give Garrett Gilbert and Cooper Rush reps in practice and pick one of them at week’s end to start at QB against the #Steelers, sources tell me and @RapSheet. It won’t be rookie Ben DiNucci, who struggled Sunday night. Playing to experience at the position.
If either Gilbert or Rush would start, it would be their first NFL start, which means back to back weeks a Cowboys quarterback made their first NFL start.