Report: Cowboys Starting OL Won't Play vs. Buccaneers

One of the Dallas Cowboys' top players will not play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

The Dallas Cowboys will be without one of their best players and a key starter on their offensive line against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

Right guard Zack Martin was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday morning and will not be active for the NFL's season-opening game in Tampa, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Connor McGovern is expected to start in Martin's place.

Martin, 30, is a six-time All-Pro offensive lineman who most recently earned first-team honors following the 2019 season. However, Martin missed a decent amount of time last season as he dealt with injuries, but when he took the field, he showed off his versatility by making his first career start at right tackle in Week 11.

As the Cowboys look to bounce back with quarterback Dak Prescott returning to full health, losing Martin in one of Dallas' biggest games of the year certainly serves as a setback. 

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Fortunately for Dallas, McGovern is a serviceable replacement with ample starting experience in his career-to-date, McGovern signed with the Cowboys as a backup lineman this offseason following stints with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos, where he made 52 starts over the past four years.

In related news, Machota also reported that Cowboys starting right tackle La'el Collins returned to practice on Sunday after dealing with neck stingers.

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