5:15pm: McCarthy confirmed that Bell will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, per Archer.
4:27pm: The Cowboys have designated wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland to return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Cooks landed on IR in early October with an infection resulting from a procedure on his injured knee, while Kneeland required surgery for a partially-torn lateral meniscus around the same time. Both players are now eligible to return to practice. Once they do, they have three weeks before they must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.
Cooks disappointed to start his second year in Dallas, catching just nine of 19 targets for 91 yards in four games. Jalen Tolbert and Kavontae Turpin have since surpassed the veteran in yards-per-game, so he may see a reduced role when he returns.
Kneeland, the 56th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, played in just five regular season games with 10 tackles and zero sacks before he injured his knee. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence went down around the same time, severely handicapping Dallas’ edge rotation over the last month. Parsons played in Weeks 10 and 11, but Lawrence remains on injured reserve, so Kneeland could be in line for expanded opportunities if he beats his veteran teammate back to the field.
Head coach Mike McCarthy also mentioned offensive lineman Chuma Edoga as a candidate to practice this week, per WFAA’s Ed Werner. Edoga was designated for return on November 13, but has yet to practice since injuring his toe in the preseason. McCarthy added that tight end Jake Ferguson is still progressing through concussion protocol.
The Cowboys will be without safety and core special teams contributor Markquese Bell for the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Bell dislocated his shoulder in Week 11 and could need surgery, which will land him on injured reserve in the coming days.