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Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory officially active for Week 3

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels09/23/21ChandlerVessels
Randy Gregory contract details with Denver Broncos revealed Dallas Cowboys Nebraska
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys declared defensive end Randy Gregory active off the COVID-19/reserves list Thursday, according to NFL.com. He will be eligible to play for Monday night’s game against division rival Philadelphia.

Gregory did not play in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers because of COVID-19 protocols. He finished with one tackle and a recovered fumble in the opening week against Tampa Bay.

“My understanding is Randy will be in the building Wednesday, [that] is when he’ll return,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this week.

The Cowboys were without Gregory on their defensive line Sunday after he tested positive for COVID-19. As he clears protocols, his return will be a boost to a line that already is struggling with the loss of star DeMarcus Lawrence.

When asked a follow-up question about how losing a player so late in the week affects your game plan as a coach, McCarthy quoted the late head coach Marty Schottenheimer who gave McCarthy his first job on an NFL staff.

“Usually the first thing — and I learned this from Marty Schottenheimer — when you’re an assistant coach you really don’t like it, but now that you’re head coach you completely understand it,” McCarthy said. “You usually cut your volume. Anytime you have sudden change, whether it’s in the game [or] personnel during the week, the normal process is you cut back on your volume.”

McCarthy also said that the Cowboys will be without defensive end Dorance Armstrong (ankle), defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (knee) and tackle Ty Nsekhe (illness) on Monday. Receiver Amari Cooper was limited in practice with a ribs injury.

“It was that play and then it was something he’d been dealing with a little bit from last week,” McCarthy said when asked if Cooper’s injury came from an early collision in the end zone against the Chargers.

The Cowboys rebounded from a loss to the Buccaneers to earn their first win of the season this past week. With Randy Gregory now officially active, Dallas will look to earn an early division victory.