Dallas Cowboys DE Randy Gregory suffers calf strain in practice, out multiple weeks
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory will be out multiple weeks after he suffered a calf strain in practice on Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy said.
Gregory was already being limited in practice due an ailing knee when suffered the calf strain doing individual drills.
McCarthy said Gregory underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam Wednesday.
The Cowboys placed him on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least three weeks.
McCarthy said Gregory, who missed a game earlier in the season due to COVID-19 protocols, was having a fantastic season.
He is tied for the team lead with five sacks and leads the with way with 20 quarterback pressures, making him one of the league’s best comeback stories after he missed 54 games from 2016-2020 due to multiple suspensions under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
“I think he was probably one of our best players,” McCarthy said. “You could make the argument probably one of clearly our best players on defense. Yeah, very disruptive. Our team and our defensive players feed off his activity. Definitely feel for him. He’s having a heck of a year.”
Dorance Armstrong and Tarell Basham will start defensive end against the Falcons Sunday.
The team will call up Bradlee Anae from the practice squad to help supplement the numbers at the position.
But also look for rookie linebacker Micah Parsons to get snaps at defensive end to help bolster the Cowboys pass rush.
Parsons, who has five sacks on the season, played end when Gregory missed the Los Angeles Chargers game in Week 2.
Gregory is the third Cowboys player to suffer a calf strain 2021.
Receiver Michael Gallup, who is expected to play against the Falcons, missed the last seven games with a calf strain. Quarterback Dak Prescott just missed one game and is back to full strength.
Cowboys sign kicker Lirum Hajrullahu to practice squad
With kicker Greg Zuerlein on the COVID-19 list and a longshot to return for Sunday’s game against the Falcons, the Cowboys signed Lirim Hajrullahu to the practice squad.
Hajrullahu won a kcking competition against former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher in practice on Wednesday.
Hajrullahu, who spent six seasons kicking in the Canadian Football League and was a two-time All-Star, has never kicked in an NFL game but had an impressive work out, per coach Mike McCarthy.
Hajrullahu was with the Cowboys in training camp while Zuerlein was on the physically unable to perform list following offseason back surgery. Hajrullahu re-signed with the team in September, joining the practice squad for a week.
Maher was with the Cowboys in 2018-2019. He was released 13 games into the 2019 season missing 10 field goals.
He has not kicked in a game since.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 10:45 AM.
