The Dallas Cowboys' injury report keeps getting longer, with running back Miles Sanders now out for the season with knee and ankle injuries. With superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on the sideline as well, the Cowboys have made a roster move, officially elevating wideout Jalen Cropper from the practice squad to the active roster.
“Cowboys placed RB Miles Sanders on season-ending injured reserve,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Saturday. “They also signed WR Jalen Cropper to their active roster from their practice squad.”
Cropper was an unsigned rookie free agent out of Fresno State (where he went by Jalen Moreno-Cropper) in 2023. After not playing as a rookie and getting just one game and 15 snaps in 2024, Cropper has been the player brought in for the Cowboys since Lamb went down in Week 3.
In his first game this season, a 40-40 overtime tie with the Green Bay Packers, Cropper played four special teams and one offensive snap. In his second appearance, though, he got more involved, with 10 special teams and six offensive snaps. During that field time, the WR returned one punt for eight yards.
While Cropper is the Cowboys' roster replacement for Lamb and Sanders, it's been star by committee for Dak Prescott's supporting cast. Against the Packers, it was George Pickens who came up huge. The first-year Cowboy had eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the overtime comeback.
A week later, against the Jets, WR Ryan Fournoy had six grabs for 114 yards while RB Javonte Williams stepped up with 139 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns.
Taking on the 2-3 Carolina Panthers in Week 6, the Cowboys have a real chance to go 2-0-1 in their last three games with Lamb out. That would be huge for a team that is in a dogfight for its division title. A win would put Dallas even in the loss column with the Philadelphia Eagles and either even or ahead of the Washington Commanders, depending on the Week 6 results.
