Cowboys vs. Giants final injury report; Zack Martin limited

As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to take on the New York Giants in the regular-season opener, we take a look at the final injury reports for both teams.

The Dallas Cowboys will kick off the NFL 100th regular season on Sunday in an NFC East battle against the New York Giants. The biggest headline heading into the contest for the Cowboys is the sudden return of running back Ezekiel Elliott.

After a long holdout, which including missing training camp and the preseason entirely, Elliott returned to the Cowboys this week after signing a six-year, $90 million contract extension on Wednesday. Zeke is expected to play against the Giants on Sunday afternoon despite his absence, although many believe his snaps will be limited and split between himself and fourth-round rookie running back Tony Pollard.

Who will be blocking for Elliott along the offensive line might be a bigger concern. On the Cowboys’ final injury report released on Friday afternoon, Dallas listed All-Pro starting right guard Zack Martin as limited through all three days of practice due to a back issue. Starting left tackle Tyron Smith also appeared on the Injury Report due to a back injury but was a full participant at all three practice sessions throughout the week.

Combined with the fact center Travis Frederick missed all of last season due to an autoimmune disease and the Cowboys’ top offensive lineman all have physical concerns going into their regular-season opener.

Although 12 players were listed on the final injury report in Dallas, only three have been designated as out for the Week One matchup on Sunday. Those players are linebacker Luke Gifford (ankle), safety Donovan Wilson (ankle), and safety Darian Thompson (ankle).

As for the New York Giants, only five players were listed on their team’s final injury report, with just wide receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) and tight end Garrett Dickerson (quad) having a game status listed as officially out.