Cowboys Injuries: Updates On Four Key Starters

FRISCO - A quartet of Dallas Cowboys' starting players sustained injuries in Sunday's NFL Week 15 victory over San Francisco - all injuries that merited serious examination on Monday here at The Star in Frisco.

Maybe the most serious issue is with linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who exited the 41-33 win what what the team said was an ankle sprain.

“It’s not broke,” Vander Esch said after the game at AT&T Stadium. “It’s definitely a high ankle. Just hope it’s just a sprain. I’ll get an MRI tomorrow.”

And indeed, Vander Esch has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, placing in doubt his status for this Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Said coach Mike McCarthy on Monday: “I don’t see Leighton having a chance to play this week.”

Wide receiver Michael Gallup sustained a right hip strain in the game, which kept the 5-9 Cowboys' playoff hopes alive. Those hopes will be buoyed by the likelihood that Gallup attempts to rehab through and play this weekend against Dallas' NFC East rivals.

Safety Xavier Woods was unable to finish the game due to an injury to his ribs, and defensive tackle Antwaun Woods was also hurt with what the Cowboys said was an ankle sprain. McCarthy indicated that their issues are less serious than Vander Esch's.

In other injury news, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who missed the game with a troublesome calf injury, said, "I’m not shutting it down. We’ll see how it goes, and I’ll see if I can get out there next week."

“At first, I was feeling good,” Elliott said regarding the decision to give way to successful (two TDs) backup Tony Pollard, “but yesterday I felt a tug. And that’s something I can’t really play with. I can play with pain and soreness, but with a tug, I can’t be as explosive as I need to be.”

McCarthy on Monday said he sees Elliott as "having a chance" to play this Sunday vs. the Eagles.

One Cowboy who is being shut down is cornerback Chris Westry, who has spend most of his time on the practice squad but was active on Sunday before succumbing to a knee sprain. Dallas plans to put him on IR as it continues its examination of possible practice-squad signees Simeon Thomas and Kemon Hall.