Report: Andy Dalton Placed on COVID-19 List, Out vs. Steelers

Dalton missed Dallas' Week 8 loss to the Eagles due to a concussion.

Tim Heitman/USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton will miss his second straight game in Week 9 after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, per ESPN's Todd Archer. 

Dalton has logged two starts with the Cowboys in 2020 following Dak Prescott's season-ending ankle injury on Oct. 11. The former TCU quarterback exited Dallas's loss to Washington on Oct. 25 after a hit to the head from linebacker Jon Bostic. Dalton was ruled out for the game and was subsequently diagnosed with a concussion. 

The Cowboys offense continued to sputter without Dalton in Week 8. Rookie Ben DiNucci completed 21 of 40 passes against the Eagles, tallying just 180 yards in the 23–9 loss. DiNucci failed to throw a touchdown in his first career start. 

"I think we certainly, as a team, paid the price to have [DiNucci] come in under those circumstances," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Tuesday. "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."

DiNucci may not get a second start for Dallas with Dalton out. The Cowboys are "seriously contemplating" starting Cooper Rush on Sunday, per the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The #Cowboys are seriously contemplating turning to QB Cooper Rush as their starter this week… which would require he get activated from the practice squad, source said. With Andy Dalton down with COVID, it may not be Ben DiNucci again.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2020

The road doesn't get any easier for the Cowboys in Week 9 as they look to advance to 3–6 in 2020. Dallas hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday, facing a Steelers defense that ranks in the top five in the NFL in takeaways, points allowed and yards allowed. 

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday is slated for 4:25 p.m. ET.