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The ailment that has kept Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper from practicing for over two weeks has been something of a mystery. It was first called “a heel bruise.” Then a report surfaced that it might be “more of a ligament thing.” Now, the injury that has kept the three-time Pro Bowler shelved appears to have an official diagnosis: plantar fasciitis.
Any condition known by its Latin etymology is immediately unsettling to the layperson. In this case, it’s especially scary-sounding for Cowboys fans eager to see the fruits of Cooper’s first offseason of work with quarterback Dak Prescott. But the 25-year-old wideout isn’t bothered by the diagnosis. In fact, it’s well-covered territory.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” Cooper told reporters on Tuesday, “because I know if it does linger, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I had 1,000 yards on a plantar fasciitis foot, so I’m not really worried.”
He was referring to 2015, when he grabbed 72 balls for 1,070 yards and 6 touchdowns in his rookie campaign as an Oakland Raider. He said he dealt with the same condition his sophomore year at Alabama, too, when he finished with 45 receptions for 736 yards and 4 scores.
Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. It’s a common injury among runners and people who spend long hours on their feet; in days gone by, it was called “policeman’s heel.” Icing, stretching, and rest are among the most common treatments. The stabbing pain and soreness can last for many months.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Cooper put the current pain level in his left foot at a 3, saying, “It’s getting better every day… It’s not as painful as it was.” While he’s still running every day, he says he’s not going full speed and hasn’t been running routes. “Like I said, it’s not really that bad, he told the press, “especially just walking around. But to do the things that I do on the field, obviously I’ll be cutting really hard, stopping really hard, those things. I haven’t tried to really do that.”
During his rehab, Cooper says he is watching carefully from the sidelines, asking Prescott questions about finer points like ball placement on the throws he sees his quarterback making in drills. “I mean, of course I feel like I’m missing things because I’m missing practice,” Cooper said. “But I’m able to keep up mentally and get those mental reps in that, kind of like, take the place, I guess, of the physical reps.”
Cooper says his inaction in the preseason is more precautionary than anything. When asked how effective he could be if he had to play right now, he was characteristically nonchalant. “Real effective. I mean, I played with a lot of foot injuries: high ankle sprains, all those things. So I’m pretty good at playing with foot injuries. But I don’t think I’m going to have to play with it.”
CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker is reporting a return is on the immediate horizon, “According to Cooper, the plan is to return to practice before the end of the week.” The Cowboys typically do not play their starters in their fourth preseason contest, so Cooper’s only shot at preseason game action would be August 24 versus Houston. His more likely return to the field would be the regular season opener against the Giants.
That would be a huge sigh of relief to Cowboys fans who remember how badly the passing game struggled for the first seven games of the 2018 season before Cooper was acquired via trade. Starting 2019 with their deep threat hurt would be a serious blow to the team’s lofty expectations for the season. But the always-understated Cooper deflected any talk of long-term complications from his latest bout of the ominously-named plantar fasciitis.
“It’s not a big deal.”
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Any condition known by its Latin etymology is immediately unsettling to the layperson. In this case, it’s especially scary-sounding for Cowboys fans eager to see the fruits of Cooper’s first offseason of work with quarterback Dak Prescott. But the 25-year-old wideout isn’t bothered by the diagnosis. In fact, it’s well-covered territory.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” Cooper told reporters on Tuesday, “because I know if it does linger, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I had 1,000 yards on a plantar fasciitis foot, so I’m not really worried.”
He was referring to 2015, when he grabbed 72 balls for 1,070 yards and 6 touchdowns in his rookie campaign as an Oakland Raider. He said he dealt with the same condition his sophomore year at Alabama, too, when he finished with 45 receptions for 736 yards and 4 scores.
Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. It’s a common injury among runners and people who spend long hours on their feet; in days gone by, it was called “policeman’s heel.” Icing, stretching, and rest are among the most common treatments. The stabbing pain and soreness can last for many months.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Cooper put the current pain level in his left foot at a 3, saying, “It’s getting better every day… It’s not as painful as it was.” While he’s still running every day, he says he’s not going full speed and hasn’t been running routes. “Like I said, it’s not really that bad, he told the press, “especially just walking around. But to do the things that I do on the field, obviously I’ll be cutting really hard, stopping really hard, those things. I haven’t tried to really do that.”
During his rehab, Cooper says he is watching carefully from the sidelines, asking Prescott questions about finer points like ball placement on the throws he sees his quarterback making in drills. “I mean, of course I feel like I’m missing things because I’m missing practice,” Cooper said. “But I’m able to keep up mentally and get those mental reps in that, kind of like, take the place, I guess, of the physical reps.”
Cooper says his inaction in the preseason is more precautionary than anything. When asked how effective he could be if he had to play right now, he was characteristically nonchalant. “Real effective. I mean, I played with a lot of foot injuries: high ankle sprains, all those things. So I’m pretty good at playing with foot injuries. But I don’t think I’m going to have to play with it.”
CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker is reporting a return is on the immediate horizon, “According to Cooper, the plan is to return to practice before the end of the week.” The Cowboys typically do not play their starters in their fourth preseason contest, so Cooper’s only shot at preseason game action would be August 24 versus Houston. His more likely return to the field would be the regular season opener against the Giants.
That would be a huge sigh of relief to Cowboys fans who remember how badly the passing game struggled for the first seven games of the 2018 season before Cooper was acquired via trade. Starting 2019 with their deep threat hurt would be a serious blow to the team’s lofty expectations for the season. But the always-understated Cooper deflected any talk of long-term complications from his latest bout of the ominously-named plantar fasciitis.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Gallery
70 great pics of Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith
view 68 imagesGallery
100 Best Pics from Cowboys-Rams preseason tilt in beautiful Hawaii
view 100 imagesContinue reading...