OXNARD, Calif. — With questions already surrounding their wide receiver group, the Dallas Cowboys will be without James Washington for 6-10 weeks because of a fractured right foot, according to multiple sources.
He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday in Dallas.
Washington suffered the injury Monday in the first padded practice of training camp on a deep ball in seven-on-seven drills when it appeared his foot got caught underneath Trevon Diggs. Washington tried to get up but had difficulty putting any weight on his foot before he was tended to by the team’s medical staff.
Washington was carted to the locker room and went for more tests that revealed the fracture to his fifth metatarsal.
Last year, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence missed 10 games after suffering a broken foot in a Week 2 practice. In 2015, Dez Bryant missed five games (six weeks) with a broken foot and had an additional surgery after the season.
Michael Gallup is currently on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. While his rehab is going well, he ruled himself out of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The hope is he can return at some point in September.
CeeDee Lamb is ascending to the No. 1 role, and Noah Brown is the only other healthy receiver to have caught a pass from Dak Prescott in a regular-season game. The Cowboys selected Jalen Tolbert in the third round from South Alabama and like his potential.
The Cowboys have resisted the urge to look for veteran help at the receiver spot, and it’s not clear whether Washington’s absence will change their minds. After Washington went down, undrafted free agent Dennis Houston saw more work alongside Lamb, Brown and Tolbert.
Washington, who signed a one-year deal as a free agent with the Cowboys, missed a good portion of the offseason program with an injury to his left foot. He was off to a decent start in camp, catching a touchdown pass in Saturday’s workout.
In four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 24 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games in 2021.