The Cowboys waited as long as they could, but as Sunday's game with the Seahawks approached, it appears Mat McBriar's left foot injury hasn't healed enough to take the chance.
Therefore, the Cowboys signed punter Chris Jones from the practice squad Saturday afternoon. Jones, an undrafted rookie from Carson Newman, is expected to handle the punting duties Sunday against Seattle and could serve as the holder for field goals and extra points as well.
To make room for Jones, the Cowboys waived veteran guard Daniel Loper, who was signed two weeks ago but hasn't been active in each of his two games on the roster.
McBriar initially started having problems with his left plant foot during the week before the Philadelphia game. McBriar had three punts in the first half but eventually left the field with reoccurring pain. The Cowboys have now diagnosed the injury as "drop foot."
Jones was with the team during training camp and the preseason and averaged 37 yards per punt on a team-high eight attempts. He was waived on Sept. 3 when the roster was trimmed to 53.
The signing gives the Cowboys four place-kickers on the 53-man roster and five specialists, including long snapper L.P. Ladoucuer.
