The Dallas Cowboys had a plethora of injuries in 2020. Most notably, the offensive line was ravaged by them. While Tyron Smith missed 14 with a neck issue, and Zack Martin was absent for 6 games with a calf injury, La’el Collins spent the entire season on the sideline after hip surgery last October.
Collins has gotten himself into great shape during his rehab, coming in with a thinner 313-pound frame for the 2021 season. Things in training camp were going well until Collins had to exit practice last week with stiffness and discomfort in his neck. He would return to practice the next day and play against the Houston Texans on August 21. However, Collins suffered another small setback on Friday, leaving practice with a neck stinger.
The ailment doesn’t appear to be serious but stingers can be a nuisance throughout a season. So, this isn’t an ideal situation especially with swing tackle Ty Nsekhe having dealt with injuries himself during training camp while also struggling on the field.
Collins signed a five-year, $50 million deal with $35 million in guaranteed money just before the 2019 season started. He responded by looking like one of the best right tackles in the NFL to the point that some felt he should have been a Pro Bowl selection. However, with his hip injury from a year ago and now this stinger issue, the hope is that injuries don’t linger for Collins as they have for the aforementioned Smith over the last half-decade.
With Dak Prescott’s return from his ankle injury and Ezekiel Elliott looking to bounce back from the first down season of his career, the Cowboys need their offense line intact, especially after the core of it missed a combined 36 games in 2020. Collins is a huge part of that so his availability is paramount for the 2021 season.
