Amari Cooper could desperately use an extra week of rest before the bye with all the injuries he has been battling this season, but the Dallas Cowboys star insists he does not want it.
Cooper exited early in the Cowboys’ loss to the New York Jets last week with a quad injury, and there were reports that he was in severe pain and could hardly walk on Monday. He has not practiced this week, but the veteran receiver said Thursday that he wants to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and is preparing accordingly.
Amari Cooper on his quad injury: "This week is better than last week. I am preparing like I am going to play. … I plan on practicing tomorrow and see what I can do."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 17, 2019
The Cowboys have lost three in a row and are extremely banged up on offense. They were missing fellow starting receiver Randall Cobb last week in addition to starting offensive linemen Tyron Smith and La’El Collins, and that was a big factor in the upset loss. With an extremely important divisional game this weekend, it is no surprise Cooper is doing everything he can to get on the field.
If Cooper’s quad bruise is only an issue of pain management, it would be unwise to bet against him suiting up. He’s having a huge year already with 33 catches for 515 yards and five touchdowns, and that production has come despite other injuries that he has been forced to play through. With a bye looming in Week 8, he may choose to do it again on Sunday.
