The annual war of attrition has claimed another cowboy, with a member of the coaching staff this week providing an all-too-rare reminder of the human side of the sport and the very personal cost to the men who make it their life's work.
It was announced Wednesday that safety Markquese Bell will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. This decision comes after the third-year player at Florida A&M suffered a shoulder injury during a tackle in Monday night's game against the Texans.
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, multiple sources report that the injury may require surgery. Things looked pretty serious at the moment, and Bell needed significant help getting off the field after it happened in the second quarter of the 34-10 loss.
After a second season in which he was promoted to linebacker under Dan Quinn, Bell saw fairly limited action at the safety position again in 2024 with Mike Zimmer's defense. He had only played 34 defensive snaps, but Bell had become a bona fide standout among special teams players.
Anterior/inferior shoulder dislocation clear via video
Worse than usual, probably need surgery— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc)
Special teams coordinator John Fassel visibly went quiet when talking about Bell during his weekly press conference this week.
“It hurts,” said Fassel when asked about the 25-year-old’s loss.
“He played just as well [on] I played special teams in 10 games that I can remember.” Fassel told reporters Tuesday. “He got injured doing what he does best: just flying in and diving. He'll be fine, but man. Easy, my goodness. I just spent so much time with these guys in meetings, on the practice field and on the field. And the emotions of [going] undecided, wanting a little more and accepting his role and thriving in his role…damn. I feel sorry for him because he was on a mission. He was better than he had been in a long time.”
S Markquese Bell will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated left shoulder, which multiple sources say may require surgery. Special teams coordinator John Fassel became emotional while talking about Bell Tuesday, knowing how serious the injury and loss was for the unit.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher)
A thoughtful Fassel went on to talk about the relationships he has developed with so many of his players, world-class athletes who typically don't get the recognition they deserve because they continually sacrifice themselves for seemingly routine plays that are often far below average Fan radar.
“These young men are very human. My goodness, and they want so much out of their careers. And I want it for her,” Fassel explained. “They are special people and what they do every day is unique.”
But injuries are a part of the sport for whoever plays it, and now the Cowboys must find a way to replace Bell on the field for the final seven games of the schedule.
Just as Bell went back to work the morning after his injury to take the first steps toward recovery. Fassel said he had just seen Bell in the trainer's room that morning and was looking forward to seeing him on a football field again.
However, Fassel indicated that both men knew that it wasn't guaranteed that they would both be back in stardom if that happened.
“He had embraced the whole thing and was also emotional because he knew what he was producing. Maybe not everyone else does, but he produced just as well as before. Hopefully he will heal and be better than ever. I'm sure he will because he's a tough kid. He is an outstanding football player. He has some great things planned for his future.”
