Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have not been shy about recruiting free-agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr., with Ezekiel Elliott the latest to push for a deal.

"We know what type of player Odell is," Elliott told reporters Wednesday. "We know how explosive he can be and what he could bring to this offense. It would be great to get him down here in Dallas. … He would definitely fit in this locker room. We want OBJ."

Beckham has been recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in last year's Super Bowl, but Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the veteran will be cleared by the end of this week.

Glazer added that there will be a "bidding war" for Beckham, listing the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams as possibilities, but he is "firmly on the Cowboys radar," per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Dallas has also been public in its pursuit of Beckham, with linebacker Micah Parsons recruiting the wideout on Twitter.

"Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on Shan & RJ on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan.

Beckham can certainly help the Cowboys if he is healthy. The three-time Pro Bowler scored five touchdowns in eight regular-season games with the Los Angeles Rams last year, adding two more in the playoffs on the way to a Super Bowl title.

Dallas' CeeDee Lamb has been productive this season, but receiver depth has been an issue after dealing away Amari Cooper in the offseason. Michael Gallup has been up-and-down since recovering from his knee injury, leaving Noah Brown as the team's No. 2 receiver with 339 yards this season, nearly double his previous career-high (184).

Adding Beckham to an offense that already has a productive rushing attack with Elliott and Tony Pollard could be difficult to defend for the stretch run of the season.

Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons is doing his part to recruit free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the team.

The linebacker tagged Beckham in a tweet:

That recruiting pitch didn't go unnoticed by Beckham, who made it clear he just wants to win:

Earlier in the day, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan the team's trademark star "could look pretty good" on Beckham.

"We know that we should be aware that he’s coming off this injury," Jones said in reference to the wideout's torn ACL. "But he showed [his ability to return from injury] and do it well last year."

Speaking with Complex, the three-time Pro Bowler included Dallas in his theoretical list of suitors:

No NFL team moves the needle like the Cowboys. At $8 billion, Forbes' Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum valued them as the richest sports franchise in the world.

The opportunity to be a part of the team that finally ends Dallas' 26-year Super Bowl drought is tantalizing, and the team's 6-2 start is evidence of its contender credentials.

Beckham would also be entering a situation where he's needed but not required to immediately become the No. 1 option in the passing game.

CeeDee Lamb hasn't inserted himself into the elite tier (42 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns) but is clearly the top target in Dallas' passing game. Much like he benefited from the attention paid to Cooper Kupp on the Los Angeles Rams, Beckham could fall behind Lamb in the offensive hierarchy while still getting plenty of looks from Dak Prescott.

Beckham signing with the Cowboys isn't a fait accompli, and even if he does, nobody knows how he'll look after a second torn ACL in two years until he's on the field. The 30-year-old might not be the same player again.

Signing with Dallas is at least a move that would make sense for both parties.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't believe there is a problem with turf fields amid the recent criticism about it causing injuries.

"Our league stats don't see issues with the type of surface that we have as opposed to natural grass," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). "We don't see issues. No facts bear that out."

The Cowboys' AT&T Stadium is among the 14 NFL stadiums to feature artificial turf. Those stadiums host half of the league's 32 teams (two stadiums host multiple teams).

Green Bay Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell became the latest to complain about the playing surface after his team's Week 9 road loss to the Detroit Loins:

Packers pass-rusher Rashan Gary suffered a torn right ACL in the game at Ford Field, while cornerback Eric Stokes, receiver Romeo Doubs and running back Aaron Jones also left the game with injuries.

After Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the Super Bowl, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb created a petition that stated 90 percent of players prefer real grass:

Beckham also called for a switch to grass earlier this season after New York Giants receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a torn ACL.

In 2020, NFLPA president JC Tretter penned a letter calling for all teams to switch to natural grass, citing higher injury rates on artificial turf.

Despite the repeated calls for change, team owners like Jones don't appear to be in any hurry to make a switch.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed the team is interested in free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

"Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor," Jones said Tuesday on Shan & RJ on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan. "I know the Cowboys star on that helmet when he puts it on could look pretty good."

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Sunday that Beckham was "firmly on the Cowboys' radar."

Beckham has yet to play this season after suffering a torn ACL in 2021. He said the injury occurred well before he helped the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Sunday the three-time Pro Bowler could be medically cleared as early as this week, though it's unclear how soon he'll be back on the field. Dan Graziano of ESPN reported on Oct. 19 that mid-December was considered the time at which Beckham would be available to suit up for a new team.

Having done little to replace Amari Cooper in the offseason, the Cowboys could certainly use another wideout.

Fifth-year receiver Michael Gallup, who recovered from a torn ACL of his own, is setting career lows in yards per catch (11.3) and receiving yards per game (27.0). CeeDee Lamb (42 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns) hasn't taken a big step forward in Cooper's absence, either.

Per Rapoport and Garafolo, Dallas considered a trade for the Houston Texans' Brandin Cooks but balked at his $18 million salary for the 2023 season. NFL Network colleague Tom Pelissero added the Cowboys launched an unsuccessful pursuit of the Denver Broncos' Jerry Jeudy.

The trade deadline has passed, so Jones and the front office are limited in how they can address the passing game.

Between the ACL injury and going into a new offense midseason, there's no guarantee Beckham would provide meaningful help. But the Cowboys don't have many better options on the table.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will be in a familiar place when his team travels to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

"The exit, it left a dent, just to be honest, with our family," the former Packers head coach said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "But it's been four years.

"We're so much better because of it. We've had time to process it all and it's a little unique. I mean, I don't recommend anybody that goes through it to stay in the town there while you go through it."

McCarthy was the head coach in Green Bay from 2006 until the team fired him with four games remaining in the 2018 campaign.

The 58-year-old said "the people" is what he misses most about his time with the Packers and added that he didn't take his firing personally. He even said he is "really looking forward to seeing Aaron" Rodgers even if his relationship with the quarterback was a subject of scrutiny at times during his tenure.

While McCarthy was just 4-7-1 during his last year in Green Bay, it is impossible to call his time with the iconic franchise anything but a success.

He won Super Bowl XLV, reached the NFC Championship Game four times, made the playoffs nine times and won the NFC North six times. That Super Bowl victory to cap off the 2010 campaign was the only time the Packers advanced out of the NFC playoffs with Rodgers under center even though the quarterback has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success.

McCarthy also seems to be in a better position than his former team this season, as the Cowboys are 6-2 after going 12-5 in 2021.

By comparison, the Packers are arguably the NFL's most disappointing team at 3-6 and enter the contest with a five-game losing streak. The offense in particular has been a concern and is 27th in the league in points per game (17.1).

Dallas is chasing the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East but also has a chance to knock a perceived contender even further from the wild-card picture with a head-to-head victory Sunday.

There may even be some extra motivation from its head coach.

It wouldn't appear that Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy would be against his team making a run at free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. upon his recovery from last season's ACL tear.

"I've always been a huge fan of his. ... I've just heard so many excellent, excellent things about him," he told reporters on Monday.

However, he added, "We really love our receiver group."

It appears the Cowboys might be in the mix.

On Sunday, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported that Beckham is "firmly on the Cowboys' radar, sources say, and they are expected to be in the mix when he's ready to pick his team upon full recovery from an ACL tear."

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer added that Beckham should be "fully cleared" in his injury recovery by the end of the week and that teams like the Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams were expected to be in the running for his services.

He added that he expects there to be a "big bidding war" for Beckham.

Alongside the teams Glazer mentioned, Rapoport and Garafolo cited the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers as potential suitors.

While the Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb (42 catches for 556 yards and three scores in eight games), Noah Brown (25 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown) and Michael Gallup (12 catches for 135 yards and a score in five games) at the position, adding another playmaker like Beckham would make sense for a Dallas team that has gone 6-2 to start the season on the back of an elite defense and physical run game.

It's hard to imagine Dak Prescott being upset with having another weapon at his disposal, especially after Beckham had something of a career resurgence with the Rams last season after struggling for several years in Cleveland.

The 30-year-old could be a difference-maker for the Cowboys as they look to have a deep postseason run and close the gap on their undefeated NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly will be medically cleared this week in his recovery from an ACL tear and be the subject of a "big" bidding war around the NFL, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (h/t Marcus Mosher of PFF).

One of those teams is expected to be the Dallas Cowboys, with Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reporting Sunday that Beckham is "firmly on the Cowboys' radar, sources say, and they are expected to be in the mix when he's ready to pick his team upon full recovery from an ACL tear."

The Cowboys won't be the only suitors at the dance, however.

Per Rapoport and Garafolo, the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams are among the teams that have "been open about potential interest in Beckham," while the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs "may have interest." Glazer also mentioned the San Francisco 49ers as possibility.

While the Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup atop the depth chart, the team has mostly gotten by this season on the merits of its defense and run game. Some of that came down to Dak Prescott's injury, but with the star quarterback healthy again, adding another weapon to the passing game would make the Cowboys one of the most well-rounded teams in football.

The Bills would make sense for Beckham, giving Josh Allen another weapon to stretch the field and stress defenses alongside Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. There isn't a team in the AFC that wants to see Beckham end up in Buffalo.

The Giants, meanwhile, would make for a fascinating story after Beckham started his career in New York and had his best years on the field with the team, earning all three of his Pro Bowl bids during that time. That relationship ultimately deteriorated, however, which would make a reunion pretty shocking.

Beckham won a Super Bowl with the Rams last season, and Allen Robinson II hasn't impressed as the No. 2 option in the passing game behind Cooper Kupp, so that reunion would be logical from their perspective.

Beckham was excellent with the Rams, especially come the postseason, catching 21 passes for 288 yards and two scores in the run to a title. It was his best stretch of play since he left New York.

There's been a major dearth at wide receiver in Green Bay since the Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. Aaron Rodgers hasn't been quiet about the need for better play at the position, and before Beckham signed with Los Angeles last season, the Packers offered him the veteran's minimum because they didn't have ample cap space. It would be a surprise if they didn't make a major push to sign him this year.

Finally, the Chiefs seem like a long shot after trading for Kadarius Toney.

While Rapoport and Garafolo reported that the "plan for Beckham is to be in full health and signed by early December," it's possible that his reported clean bill of health could lead to an earlier signing this month.

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is "firmly" on the radar of the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Rapoport and Garafolo reported the Cowboys "are expected to be in the mix when he's ready to pick his team upon full recovery from an ACL tear." Beckham may wait until early December before he picks his next team.

The three-time Pro Bowler was forced to watch the Los Angeles Rams seal a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals from the sidelines after exiting the game due to a knee issue.

In the aftermath of the Super Bowl, The MMQB's Albert Breer reported the Rams were initially concerned that Beckham had suffered a torn ACL. With free agency looming, the injury raised concerns over a player who seemed to earn himself a lot of money in the second half of the 2021 season.

The 30-year-old caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games before adding 21 receptions for 288 yards and two scores in the postseason.

But another knee problem added to existing concerns about his durability.

In 2017, Beckham was limited to four games because of a fractured ankle. Then came core muscle surgery in January 2020 before he tore the ACL in his left knee later that year.

Per Rapoport and Garafolo, Beckham is hopeful of signing a multiyear contract, but that might be tough to pull off until he proves what kind of player he is after his most recent knee injury.

The Cowboys in particular might be wary of taking the risk because they already have $57.5 million invested in another wideout who suffered an ACL tear last season, Michael Gallup. Beckham would certainly provide some valuable depth but only at the right price.

Fans and analysts puzzled by Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard's limited usage might have more to do with his in-game stamina than Jerry Jones' obsession with Ezekiel Elliott.

Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete told Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Pollard said he was "done" after 30 plays in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears.

"[Pollard] played a total of 30 plays, and I think that’s his max—as far as total play count— because then the juice doesn’t become the same and he’s not as quick, not as fast," Peete said of the 25-year-old.

With Elliott unavailable against the Bears due to an injury, Pollard was given his first real opportunity of the season to showcase his ability as the Cowboys' lead running back. He finished with 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

Per David Helman of Fox Sports, Pollard tied his career high with rushing attempts and rushing yards last week. It was also the fourth time in eight games this season he's averaged at least six yards per carry.

Pollard played more snaps in the previous game against the Detroit Lions (41), but he's only crossed the 30-snap threshold in three games all season.

The Athletic's Ted Nguyen noted 39.5 percent of Pollard's rushing attempts since the start of last season have come against eight-man boxes. This was in response to ESPN's Mina Kimes pointing out that Pollard ranks second among all running backs in yards per carry between the tackles since 2021 (5.47).

Elliott ranks 38th during that span. The three-time Pro Bowler is only averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 109 attempts this season. Even though the Cowboys have only targeted him eight times as a receiver, he is valuable as a blocker in pass protection.

Pollard has been better than Elliott in most counting stats this season. He has more rushing yards (506-443), rushing touchdowns (five to four), receptions (12-6) and receiving yards (121-32).

For all of Pollard's production, though, Jones remains steadfast that Elliott will remain the No. 1 option.

The Cowboys are on a bye this week before taking on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 13.