Pair of Dallas Cowboys RBs land in COVID-19 protocol

The Dallas Cowboys are already shorthanded at practice after the foot injury to receiver James Washington; the team fears that he may have suffered a fracture. 

The Cowboys list of unavailable players grew earlier this week when a pair of running backs landed on the COVID-19 protocol list in the form of Rico Dowdle and Aaron Shampklin. 

“It impacts everything,’’ head coach Mike McCarthy said before practice got underway. “I think we cut about 14 minutes out.’’

“They are virtual,’’ McCarthy said. “This is one of the things we talked about the other day. There is a lot that came from the pandemic and virtual teaching and learning is one of them.’’

COVID-19 protocols are now left up to individual teams rather than being mandated by the NFL. Per the Cowboys team rules, players who test positive must isolate for at least five days; they're permitted to return if they are symptom-free after that period. Additionally, they must then wear a mask for the next five days in team settings.