Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins had his rookie campaign get off to a rocky start. During OTAs, the third-round pick suffered a broken foot.
Per the team’s website, “the initial timetable for recovery is expected to be 10-to-12 weeks — which would have him set to return to the field somewhere around the tail end of training camp.”
Muddying up the waters even more is the fickle nature of foot injuries. No doubt, Dallas needs to take a more conservative approach with Collins than it did with receiver Dez Bryant, who came back from his foot injury too soon last season.
Dallas has had terrible luck with injuries dating back to last year. Collins figured to be a big part of the team’s defensive plans this year as a rookie. Now, given the estimated time for recovery, it’s conceivable he’ll have to be worked into the lineup on a limited basis, at least through the first half of the season.
If the injury doesn’t heal on the timetable set by the team, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Cowboys place Collins on the short-term IR to open the season.