The Dallas Cowboys could be getting two key players back for their Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots.
According to Jon Machota of the Athletic, head coach Mike McCarthy is “optimistic” that offensive linemen Zack Martin and Tyler Biadasz will be available on Sunday. Both players returned to practice on Thursday and took part in the mock game Friday. They are both scheduled to practice on Saturday, as well.
Both Martin and Biadasz were sidelined during the Cowboys’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals last weekend.
Martin is currently nursing an ankle injury, and his absence in Week 3 represented the first time he had missed a game due to injury since 2020. He missed the 2021 season opener because he was on the COVID list. Meanwhile, Biadasz, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, had made 35 consecutive starts before being inactive against the Cardinals.
Martin, who played his collegiate football at Notre Dame, was selected by Dallas with the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Since then, the 32-year-old has stamped his name among the best offensive linemen in football, making eight trips to the Pro Bowl and earning six First-Team All-Pro selections.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys took Biadasz in the fourth round of the draft back in 2020. He became a full-time starter at center in 2021, and last year, the 25-year-old made his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Dallas is 2-1 on the season. The Cowboys won their first two games in dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents 70-10 across the two contests. That had many fans and media pundits labeling Dallas the Super Bowl favorite, but the Cowboys then suffered a rather humbling 28-16 upset loss to the Cardinals last Sunday.
McCarthy and Co. will surely feel a lot better about their chances against the Patriots with Martin and Biadasz back in the lineup.
