Cowboys 'Keeping Secrets' from Jets with Brandin Cooks Injury?

Some think Brandin Cooks and the Cowboys remain tight-lipped on the injury issue so as not to give the Jets any idea about whether he will play. But Dallas doesn't seem to be playing games on the subject of receiver's health.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are being accused of being "clever'' or "sneaky'' or "secretive'' regarding the Week 2 availability of veteran receiver Brandin Cooks. But it wasn't true when he was a DNP for Wednesday's walkthrough practice here at The Star with a knee injury. ...

And now comes Thursday. And conspiracy theories remain misguided, with coach Mike McCarthy detailing the day's injury-related plan.

"All three of them have improved,'' McCarthy said in offering pre-practice injury updates on Tyler Smith, Donovan Wilson and Cooks.

Wilson is practicing, and Jourdan Lewis is doing the same. But Tyler Smith and Brandin Cooks - who a team source tells CowboysSI.com is dealing with a knee sprain - will be limited to working only with rehab group on Thursday. 

It has been reported (wrongly) that Cooks' status means he could have simply been taking a "veteran's day off'' on Wednesday. But that would mean Thursday's status is ... what? A "veteran's week off''?

Cooks, Wilson and Smith are in the spotlight as the 1-0 Cowboys team prepares to host the New York Jets in Week 2. For Cooks' part, he insisted on Wednesday, “Yeah, I feel good.'' And when asked if he is limited in any way by his knee issue, Cooks replied, “Oh no, if I’m out there, there’s no limitations.”

Right. So "if" he's out there. ... he's out there "if.'' But ... doesn't that mean Cooks' status for Sunday's game against the Jets remains in doubt? 

As of Thursday, it does indeed mean that.

The NFL doesn't really allow for too much gamesmanship in these matters. The injury report, as we presented it to Cowboys Nation on Wednesday, is "official'' in nature. Cooks' presence on it means there is an injury of some degree.

JUST IN: #DallasCowboys Practice / Injury Report .. Brandin Cooks Status? Full story https://t.co/XpImtdZoYw pic.twitter.com/Vui2F59UYt

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) September 13, 2023

We are early in the season and we are not yet late in the week. There is time for the Brandin Cooks situation to develop from what is hopefully a mild ailment into him being on the field with Dak Prescott on Sunday. But that's for that day. For this day, Cooks is not ready to practice - for a real reason.