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Amari Cooper activated for Cowboys game against the Saints, team announces

After testing positive for COVID-19 and missing the past two games, Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper will be back in the lineup Thursday vs. the Saints.

The Dallas Cowboys have activated wide receiver Amari Cooper for Thursday's game against the Saints, the team Tweeted out Wednesday afternoon.

While the team hasn't yet reported about his playing status, ESPN reporter Ed Werder Tweeted Cooper is expected to be back in the lineup.

The kickoff is at 7:20 p.m. Thursday in New Orleans.

On Nov. 19, the Cowboys announced Cooper had tested positive for COVID-19 and that the team had placed the 27-year-old athlete on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Since then, he has missed the last two games.

Since Cooper is unvaccinated, he had to undergo a 10-day quarantine process, even if he was asymptomatic. The Cowboys lost both games he was absent for.

Cooper is one of many people on both the roster and coaching staff who have recently tested positive for COVID.

Head coach Mike McCarthy tested positive on Monday right after four offensive assistant coaches were diagnosed with the virus, which forced a significant chunk of the coaching staff out for Thursday's game.

The Cowboys have said McCarthy and the entire coaching staff are vaccinated.

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ESPN's Todd Archer lists those eight diagnosed team members as head coach McCarthy, offensive lineman Terence Steele, offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant offensive line coach Jeff Blasko, coaching assistant Scott Tolzein, and strength and conditioning coaches Harold Nash, Kendall Smith and Cedric Smith. Of that bunch, Archer reports Cedric Smith as the only one eligible to return for Thursday's game.

Earlier this year, right guard Zach Martin missed the season opener because of a positive COVID test while linebacker Keanu Neal also missed a game due to a positive test result.

Defensive end Randy Gregory and kicker Greg Zuerlein also missed games this season because of COVID. 

Cooper currently is second on the team in terms of receiving yards (583) and touchdowns (5), behind CeeDee Lamb in both categories.

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