Cowboys center Travis Frederick is “in a good place” and responding well to medication after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease.
Frederick announced Wednesday evening that he had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disease in which the immune system attacks the nervous system. The diagnosis came after extensive testing prompted by what was believed to be a series of “stingers” during the latter portion of training camp.
“I think he’s handled it really well, I think he’s in a great frame of mind,” head coach Jason Garrett said during a Thursday press conference. “I think the uncertainty of this was probably as bothersome as anything to him.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called it “great news” that doctors had finally gotten a handle on what was affecting Frederick. The symptoms can include paralysis and loss of feeling in parts of one’s body.
“We were really happy when we finally got a diagnosis,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We had been concerned about that and couldn’t get a diagnosis. [...] Relative to some of the other things that might have been considered, we thought this was great news.”
Frederick’s announcement on Twitter Wednesday said the disease was “detected at a fairly early stage” and was optimistic about his recovery.
There is no timetable for his return.
Both the owner and head coach reiterated that football isn’t the top priority when it comes to Frederick’s recovery.
“First and foremost, we’re thinking about him and his family more than any football aspect,” Garrett said.
“The biggest thing we’ve been worried about in this organization is his longterm health – his individual well-being – as opposed to how it impacts us as a team or him as a player,” Jones said.
Jones said the team hadn’t had conversations about whether or not the diagnosis would land Frederick on injured reserve. Joe Looney has taken first-team reps at center in Frederick’s absence and is the likely replacement for the Cowboys’ Sept. 9 opener.
Garrett said standout guard Zack Martin is also an option at center, but emphasized that he is the team’s starting right guard. Garrett said the Cowboys will look outside the organization for options at center as other teams finalize their rosters ahead of the start of the regular season.
Frederick has been the anchor of the Cowboys' offensive line since the franchise drafted him in the first round in 2013. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2016 and second-team in 2014 and 2015. He's also a four-time Pro Bowler.
He hasn’t allowed a single sack in the last three seasons.