With training camp underway and the preseason about to kick off, the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, and fans can begin preparing for a year of resurgence.
The stadium will be allowing full capacity for the 2021-2022 NFL season. However, they will also be incorporating CDC and other advised health and safety protocols, including stadium workers wearing masks and cleaning high contact points, 475 hand sanitation stations, and cashless transactions per their website. The announcement came following the Texas Rangers returning to full capacity back in early April.
Cowboy fans made up 24% of total fan attendance in the NFL last season, although they only hosted an average of 28,187 fans in 2020, which is down from their 2019 average of 90,929.
Much of this upcoming season is expected to be like that of pre-COVID due to around 75% of all players receiving at least one shot of the vaccine.
One major difference the league is enforcing is forfeiting games due to COVID outbreaks. The Cowboys players and staff will not have too much worry about this due to most of the team being vaccinated. Jerry Jones relayed at Cowboys’ training camp opening press conference that 99% of Tier 1 to Tier 3 staff were vaccinated, and only 5 players were not committed to getting the vaccine; whereas, all others had committed to getting the vaccine or had at least been given their first shot.
The Cowboys organization and fans hope to resemble their playoff-earning 2019 form with both a full stadium and a healthy roster. With the return of star quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys’ backfield will be healthy for the first time since Week 3 of last year.
The Cowboys kick off their preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 5th and will have their first home preseason game on the 21st against the Texans. Their first home game will be a Monday night divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in week three of the season.