One of the newest Dallas Cowboys, former first-round pick Malik Hooker, did not suit up for the team during this week’s Hall of Fame game. The former Indianapolis Colts safety is still getting up to speed with his new team.
The Colts elected against picking up the oft-injured Hooker’s fifth year option. When healthy, he has been a very productive NFL player, but staying on the field has been a major issue. Torn MCL and ACLs sidelined him midway through his rookie season. He missed nearly all of the 2020 season after tearing an Achilles.
He had plenty of interest in free agency, and took visits to the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers before settling on the Cowboys. The team has been working to get him ready to go, and head coach Mike McCarthy gave a brief update on Friday.
“We’re going to advance him. Exactly how much hasn’t been set yet,” McCarthy said, via the team website. “We have a staff meeting tomorrow. Once we get all the medical in, we’ll make those decisions.”
“We’re going to advance him…” HC Mike McCarthy on Malik Hooker.
Here’s the latest on the newly-signed safety’s training camp participation.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 7, 2021
Malik Hooker has 124 career combined tackles, with seven interceptions from 2017-2019. The former Ohio State standout should add some big-play ability at the back end of a Cowboys defense that was extremely leaky a year ago.
With the Hall of Fame game behind them, the Dallas Cowboys have three more preseason contests: at the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 13, vs. the Houston Texans on Aug. 21, and vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 29. We’ll see how much game action the staff wants to get him before the season, given his injury history and team’s increased reluctance to put major veterans in harm’s way during the preseason.
The Cowboys open with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Sept. 9 to begin regular season play.
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