Missed meeting results in missed game for Lucky Whitehead

The Dallas Cowboys will be without their top return specialist on Sunday night against the New York Giants.

The team announced Saturday that Lucky Whitehead did not make the trip to New Jersey because he violated team rules. Whitehead missed a team meeting, according to a source.

Whitehead did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His agent, Trey McFarlin, said he did not have enough information to comment “at this time.”

Reserve running back Lance Dunbar is listed as the backup kickoff returner, and receiver Cole Beasley is the backup punt returner.

Whitehead has played in all 12 games for the Cowboys this season. He is averaging 23.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns and 8.8 yards on 19 punt returns.

Whitehead is also used as the fifth receiver on the team and has been utilized in the running game on jet sweeps. He has two catches for 40 yards, and eight carries for 86 yards on the season. He has never scored a special teams or offensive touchdown in his two-year career.

Whitehead had one kick return for 21 yards and two punt returns for a total of 16 yards in the season-opening loss to the Giants.

This story was originally published December 10, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Missed meeting results in missed game for Lucky Whitehead."