CeeDee Lamb’s injury absence in the final 2 games brings opportunity for other WR’s

The Cowboys are going to have a chance to evaluate some younger wide receivers over the final two games.

CeeDee Lamb’s season has come to an end with two games left to go in the 2024 regular season. He has been battling through a shoulder injury these past few weeks and while he has been determined to push through the pain to help the team, it is finally to the point where it is better to rest him and ensure he does not aggravate it even more heading into the 2025 season. Despite his success and production these past few weeks, the Cowboys are officially eliminated from the playoffs and it only makes sense to start his road to recovery ASAP.

As with any injury to a star player, as unfortunate as it is, there comes a silver lining for the guys further down on the depth chart to get an opportunity to prove themselves. With many of them fighting for a spot on this roster (or another team’s roster) in 2025, they will have a chance against two division rivals to do just that.

Brandin Cooks

There was a lot of excitement around Brandin Cooks entering the season as a very strong WR2 and that just didn’t pan out as expected. It has been a tough year for Brandin Cooks as he battled an infection in his knee causing him to miss multiple games. Since returning from injury, with Cooper Rush in the driver’s seat, he has completions on 10 of 18 targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Cooks is a free agent heading into 2025 and these last few games will be a good chance for him to showcase that he has still got it.

Jalen Tolbert

In Jalen Tolbert’s third season in the NFL, and since his awful start in his rookie season, he has been able to turn the narrative around and has done some really good things for this offense the past few years. This season has been a quietly positive season for him. When looking at his stats on the year he is getting close to that 500-yard receiving mark and has a total of six touchdowns, including two toe-tapping touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. That being said, there is still a lot to be desired, especially when looking for the next WR2 for 2025. Tolbert is battling a hand injury he suffered against the Buccaneers, but he is willing to fight through it.

KaVontae Turpin

KaVontae Turpin is one of the best kick-returners in the NFL and is likely headed to his third Pro Bowl as such. However, his contributions on offense this season have been electric. Whether it is in the passing game or the running game, good things seem to happen when he touches the ball. Turpin is a restricted free agent in 2025 and is looking to make the most of these last few games. Hopefully he will be heavily featured in the offensive game plan in Lamb’s absence.

Jalen Brooks

Jalen Brooks has seen more opportunities in his second season in the NFL and while there is obviously room for improvement, he has done some nice things to help out the team in different situations. His longest reception was for 41 yards against the Commanders and he was able to score his first ever NFL touchdown against the Panthers. Currently, it is uncertain if Brooks will be healthy for these last two games of the season. If he is able to play, these games should come with plenty of opportunities for him to help the team.

Ryan Flournoy

Ryan Flournoy hasn’t had a whole lot of opportunities to get the ball in his rookie season. However, outside of one really unfortunate game, he has done a good job with the opportunities he has been given. On the season, he has seven receptions on 10 targets for 85 yards. This past game against the Buccaneers was his best game yet. He caught all three of his targets for 41 yards. Expect to see him a bit more as his connection with Rush continues to grow.

Jonathan Mingo

Jonathan Mingo has only been with the team for the past six games after getting traded to the Cowboys from the Panthers in November. Since joining the team, he has only been able to haul in two receptions on 11 targets. Not all of those incompletions are strictly his fault though, as Rush and Mingo just haven’t been able to get on the same page. While technically his contract carries into 2026, that doesn’t mean that he will be on the team until then. If given the opportunity, he needs to take advantage of it and prove that he deserves a spot on this roster moving forward.