Brandin Cooks Injury: Gearing up for return

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Cooks (knee) is getting close to a return from injured reserve and could be activated as soon as this week, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reports.

Before becoming a realistic candidate to play this Sunday against the Commanders, Cooks will first have to return to practice, as the Cowboys have yet to open his 21-day evaluation window. McCarthy's comments suggest that the veteran wideout is improving after he developed an infection in his right knee following a surgical procedure, but the team still may want to take a cautious approach with his return. The 3-7 Cowboys have faded from the NFC playoff picture following five consecutive losses and have little incentive to rush him back. Cooks suited up in each of Dallas' first four games of the season and recorded nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets.