Dallas Cowboys to place guard Nate Livings on IR
By Brad Rowland
The Dallas Cowboys offensive line has come under major fire in recent years, but it appears that they will be without a starter for the entirety of the 2013 season.
A source told ESPN.com’s Tim McMahon that starting guard Nate Livings will placed on the injured reserve list, effectively ending his season. Livings has been out of practice since the beginning of August as a result of a surgery on his right knee, but it wasn’t known until Saturday that he would be forced to miss the season.
Indications are that Livings’ injury is degenerative, and with that, it may be more than just the end of a season for the 31-year-old guard. For the Cowboys, this is brutal news, as the time for a major acquisition to bolster the offensive line has long passed, and his absence leaves a gaping hole in the protection plan of Tony Romo.
There were some reports that Livings wouldn’t be the starter anyway, based on his injury history and lack of practice time, but the depth concern alone is cause for minor panic. At any rate, this is a make-or-break season for Jason Garrett and company, and they’ll be going through the gauntlet without the services of Nate Livings.