Watch Tony Pollard and Terence Steele look healthy in workouts before Cowboys training camp
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys have a largely clean bill of health going into training camp. Some players, including Jourdan Lewis, could start camp on the PUP (physically unable to perform list), but the general consensus is that Tony Pollard will be cleared after he underwent surgery to repair a high-ankle sprain.
Terence Steele and Malik Hooker are question marks, however.
Steele suffered a torn ACL in Week 13 against the Texans, while Hooker most of 2022 with a dislocated thumb. Hooker downplayed the injury in a recent interview but noted he isn't medically cleared for training camp.
The fact Hooker played through the injury, though, is a sign of encouragement that he'll be all systems go once he's given the green light.
While we await word on Hooker, Pollard and Steele's status for camp, the latter two players look recovered from their offseason surgeries.
Check out Pollard go through a vigorous workout.
Tony Pollard and Terence Steele look healthy before Cowboys training camp.
That doesn't look like a player who's still feeling the effects of offseason surgery. In fact, Pollard displayed equal explosion in both legs. So much so that it's impossible to determine which ankle was operated on this offseason.
This is great news for the Cowboys, who up until this point bypassed adding to their backfield following the release of Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard is ready to assume the lead role and build on his Pro Bowl 2022 when he rushed for 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns to go with 371 yards and three scores as a receiver.
Pollard has been adamant for months that he'll be cleared for camp and this video is a strong indicator that will be the case.
While tightrope surgery is no joke, Steele faced a longer rehab process coming off ACL reconstruction surgery. Torn ACLs aren't the career-threatener they were some 10 years ago, but offensive linemen are heavily dependent on their lower half to achieve their desired footwork and blocking technique.
Steele looks incredibly spry for someone who's six months post-op.
Hey now!
Like Pollard, Steele has insisted that he's felt great and ahead of schedule. It doesn't appear in the video that his knee is supported by a brace, which is another positive indicator. While the PUP list is the expectation for the 26-year-old given he underwent a major surgery, it's hard to watch this video and not be drawn to the conclusion that he'll be ready for Week 1.