Haley, Marion Out for Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are without two of their top defensive players after back surgery Thursday on Charles Haley and discovery of a second fracture in the shoulder of Brock Marion.

Haley will have another back operation, and it’s uncertain if the star defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys will play again this season.

Trainer Jim Maurer said the operation might be performed this week, once scheduling problems with the surgeon are settled.

Haley, the only NFL player to play for five Super Bowl champions, has had surgery three times in the last four years. His back problem causes recurring numbness and weakens his leg muscles.

He sat out five of the first 10 games this season. When he was able to play, the team tried to limit him to about 30 plays a game.

Marion was expected to be out for about three weeks because of a left shoulder blade fracture suffered on the final play of Sunday’s 20-17 overtime victory over San Francisco.

But a CAT scan revealed a second break in the joint, forcing the safety out for the season. George Teague will replace him in the starting lineup.

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Halfback Edgar Bennett was added to the Green Bay Packers’ injury list because of a strained groin.

The good news is that left tackle Ken Ruettgers plans to make his first start of the season Monday against the Cowboys, allowing the Packers to ditch their extra blockers for more three- and four-receiver sets.

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Washington Redskin owner Jack Kent Cooke is in Georgetown University Medical Center undergoing a non-operative procedure for arthritis. Doctors say Cooke, 84, suffers from osteoarthritis, a common degenerative condition found in the elderly.