TAMPA, Fla. – Malik Hooker won't be part of this much-anticipated season opener.
The Cowboys announced their seven inactives for their Week 1 tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was headlined by the former first-round pick who signed on during the summer.
Hooker was joined on the inactives list by Will Grier, Israel Mukuamu, Azur Kamara, Luke Gifford, Chauncey Golston and Noah Brown.
Given his high-profile status, it's a bit surprising to hear that Hooker is inactive, but it makes some sense within the framework of a game day roster. Getting a jersey for a game is typically dictated by how much you can do. With Damontae Kazee returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Hooker is not currently a starter, and he also doesn't have much of a special teams role.
Consequently, the coaching staff opted to elevate Darian Thompson, who is a core member of the special teams units.
Brown is inactive just a day after being brought back from the COVID list. The coaches likely considered their options between Brown and rookie Simi Fehoko, and it seems like Fehoko's availability over the past week gave him the edge in that department.
The Cowboys also announced their first batch of weekly captains, a tradition that head coach Mike McCarthy has chosen to continue into his second season. Dak Prescott will serve as offensive captain, which should come as no surprise given that this is his first game back from last year's season-ending injury. Randy Gregory is the team's defensive captain, and Thompson will serve as the captain on special teams.
