After suffering a disappointing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys are heading into a must-win Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cowboys will play without Amari Cooper due to testing positive for COVID-19 and his unvaccinated status. As Dallas prepares to play the Raiders, Hall of Famer Michael Irvin angrily laid into the star wideout’s reluctance toward taking the vaccine.

Amari Cooper sidelined for two games after testing positive for COVID-19

Days before the Cowboys faced the Chiefs in Week 11, Cooper became ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19.

The result kept him out of the tough 19-9 road loss. It also prevents him from playing on Thanksgiving against the Raiders as his unvaccinated status puts him in the mandatory 10-day absence.

Cooper has recorded 44 catches for 583 yards and five touchdowns in nine games played. He has tallied more than 100 receiving twice, racked up a touchdown reception four times, and notched at least 50 receiving yards all but three times.

His absence leaves a significant void for the Cowboys’ offense. Beyond that, it has a franchise great quite angry about the situation.

Michael Irvin furiously blasts Cowboys WR Amari Cooper for missing Thanksgiving Day game: ‘I got a guy who makes $21 million, on the bench, at home, not playing. It’s crazy’

Since stepping into retirement, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has never minced his words concerning his former team.

Irvin is arguably the franchise’s biggest unbashful public supporter. However, the 55-year-old didn’t hold back when blasting the Cowboys star wideout for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I don’t know what word to put on it, but I am absolutely hot about it,” Irvin said Tuesday when interviewed by TMZ. “Are you joking? I got a guy named Cedrick Wilson catching passes who makes $2 million and a guy named Noah Brown who makes $1 million? And I got a guy who makes $21 million, on the bench, at home, not playing. It’s crazy.”

“Our job as athletes is to try to remove any reason of not winning a Super Bowl. It’s why I conditioned so fatigue ain’t a reason I lose the Super Bowl. Then it’s why I go over plays a million times so a mistake is not a reason why I lose the Super Bowl. So you have to try to mitigate any issue that could cost you a game or a Super Bowl and COVID is one of them.

“You got get vaccinated to mitigate it the best way you can. I mean you can still get it even after you get vaccinated, but it’s a different percentage of chance of you getting it, and I need you to get that different percentage of chance. I’m so hot about Amari Cooper not being on that.”

It isn’t the first time that Irvin has come out strongly in support of taking the vaccine. In July, the Hall of Famer publicly pushed for NFL players to get the shot. His stance lies rooted in providing more health safety and removing another hurdle that could prevent a player from playing games.

Now the Cowboys will venture into Thursday’s game without one of their biggest offensive weapons largely due to his reluctance toward taking the vaccine.

Cowboys head into must-win Thanksgiving game against the Raiders

Much of Dallas’ success has come through Prescott’s stellar play, as he’s been one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks.

However, the pressure will rise another level on Thursday without Cooper available, as he’s remained one of the team’s most reliable offensive factors.

The Cowboys may have second-year wideout CeeDee Lamb available as he practiced on Wednesday. Lamb still needs to clear other concussion protocol measures, but it’s a definite step toward him playing against the Raiders. His presence would provide Prescott a much-needed passing game target.

Despite that, Dallas holds a favorable advantage over Las Vegas, and it will hinge on their star quarterback leading the charge.

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