James Washington was signed by the Cowboys this offseason for depth and to potentially start during Michael Gallup’s expected absence early in the season. Now the veteran receiver may also have a delayed debut, potentially fracturing his foot during today’s training camp practice.
Earlier this afternoon, Washington came up hobbling after leaping for a contested ball against CB Trevon Diggs. He briefly put weight on his leg before going back to the ground and receiving medical attention, eventually being taken off the field on a cart.
Cowboys WR James Washington is injured, not putting weight on right leg after play. pic.twitter.com/KN7kUXi12y
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 1, 2022
Yikes. Would likely knock him out 10-12 weeks. https://t.co/CTxss1TYBc
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 1, 2022
If Washington does have to start the season on injured reserve, Dallas will likely turn to 3rd-round rookie Jalent Tolbert and some combination of Noah Brown, Simi Fehoko, and T.J. Vasher for their WR depth chart. Recently-signed KaVontae Turpin, who could make the team as a return specialist, could also be in the mix.
There are still several noteworthy free agent receivers as well. Odell Beckham Jr. is the biggest name on a list that includes Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton, Adam Humphries, and even our old friend Cole Beasley.
We’ll see how Dallas deals with its WR depth in the coming days and continuing weeks of camp and preseason games. For now, we hope James Washington gets a positive diagnosis and can return to action sooner than later.