Zack Martin tests positive for COVID, will miss season opener

Posted by Mike Florio on September 5, 2021, 12:22 PM EDT
Buffalo Bills v Dallas Cowboys
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The Cowboys will try to beat the Buccaneers on Thursday night with one fewer key member of the offense.

Via Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, guard Zack Martin has tested positive for COVID. Per Hill, Martin will miss the Week One game against the Buccaneers.

It’s unclear whether Martin is vaccinated. If he’s not, he will miss 10 days, minimum. If he is, he’ll be eligible to return after generating a pair of negative tests more than 24 hours apart.

Per Hill, guard Brandon Knight also has entered the protocol because he was identified as a close contact with Martin. This means that Knight is not vaccinated. Vaccinated players are not eliminated for close contacts; unvaccinated players are wiped out for five days.

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24 responses to “Zack Martin tests positive for COVID, will miss season opener”

  3. It’s not good to lose starting offensive linemen against this Bucs defense. Just ask Patrick Mahomes.

  5. At least we’re playing football. Anything can happen. Anyone can win. Here we are. Week 1. Life is great!

  7. Cowboys could have the #1 offense this year but it’s gonna make it hard if starters keep being benched because of this BS.. seems like a good way to rig some games

  8. The league is gonna drop the hammer on the unvaccinated.
    Just wait until both teams lose game checks.
    Whether it’s their fault or not, they will take 100% of the blame.
    And they won’t be able to talk themselves out of the blame.
    These are the rules, make your choice, and pray that you aren’t the one that causes it.

  9. Games are rigged. Anyone who believes they are gonna leave a multi billion dollar business to chance is not thinking. Cowboys are just gathering excuses to sell hope for next year.

  11. That sound of air quickly escaping a balloon you hear is the last shred of hope Dallas had for this game or the season.

  13. Brady was able to motivate a lot of guys who had been career underachievers. Now that they all have super bowl rings, are they going to continue to work at the same level that they never worked prior to last year? Some might. Others might not. I think that’s why they play the games. If it were easy to predict outcomes, there would be no such thing as gambling.

  14. The first domino to fall. I’ll be curious if any unvaxxed players will miss the first game of the season. The “competitive advantage” narrative the NFL has been pushing just went out the window. These protocols desperately need revisited. Imagine how many breakthroughs we’d be seeing if they were testing the vaxxed more than every 7 days. Scary numbers. Mask up people.

  15. Unless you are wearing a properly fitted, completely sealed N95, then you are just wearing a security blanket. Useless.

  18. I want to laught at this, but sadly, I’m sure my team will get hit with at least one of these as well.

  19. Could have the #1 offense this year, that’s quite the stretch there. Despite all the hype the cowboys get, due to their huge fan base, the team has shown nothing in the last few years which would point to them being anywhere near the top offense. Chances are they don’t even make the playoffs again.

  20. starfan79 says:
    September 5, 2021 at 1:13 pm
    Cowboys could have the #1 offense this year but it’s gonna make it hard if starters keep being benched because of this BS.. seems like a good way to rig some games

    //////////////////////////////////////////

    #1 offense this year? it depends on how much they accumulate during garbage time.

  23. Get vaccinated! I would cut all players who are not vaccinated. Not worth the risk and clearly not team players!

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