Cowboys fifth-round pick to miss serious time after day 4 shoulder injury

Player injuries are never ideal. But it’s especially sad to see a rookie go down in training camp when the potential is there. That’s exactly what happened on day four of Dallas Cowboys training camp.

After tons of positive feedback from coach Mike McCarthy during OTAs, fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko was ready to prove himself and earn a spot as a swing tackle for the Cowboys. Unfortunately, during practice on Thursday, the OT sustained a shoulder injury and was seen walking off the field with trainers. He did not return to practice.

At OTAs in May, Waletzko helped fill in for Tyron Smith when the veteran was dealing with some back pain. McCarthy complimented the rookie for playing to his assets and was excited that the 22-year-old can play at both right and left tackle.

There has been a ton of talk about tackle depth and who will take over the swing tackle position. Heading into camp, it seemed the battle was between Waletzko and Josh Ball. With the fifth-rounder sitting out for at least a bit, this gives Ball (the redshirted 2021 fourth-round pick) a huge chance to lead the competition for the position.

Cowboys fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko will miss time after sustaining a shoulder injury on day 4 of training camp

Seeing Waletzko walk off the field on Thursday wasn’t a good sign, but there was hope the MRI would bring positive results. The update that came on Friday morning from David Moore of the Dallas Morning News proved otherwise. Moore reported that while surgery won’t be required at the moment, Waletzko will indeed miss time.

The OT will need to rehab his shoulder, and his status with the team will be evaluated “later in camp.”

It’s devastating to see a rookie go down, especially when he is an athlete many were excited about who could truly help fill an important positional need.

The Cowboys selected the North Dakota product for his massive size and serious upside. The 6-foot-7 tackle may not have played in a Power 5 conference, but he impressed many scouts at the Senior Bowl when he was able to take on players from higher-level schools.

Part of what intrigued Will McClay and his team about Waletzko was the stuff you can’t teach. His arm length was in the 96th percentile and his wingspan was in the 98th percentile, but he was quite quick for someone his size.

On Friday afternoon, McCarthy confirmed that the rookie would not practice Friday or Saturday, but didn’t have a set timeline for his return. We hope that Waletzko has a speedy rehab and recovery and can get back into the swing tackle competition as soon as possible.