The Cowboys placed Gathers (concussion) on injured reserve Monday, Rob Phillips of the team's official site reports.
Gathers has been embedded in the concussion protocol since mid-August and will now miss at least the first eight weeks of the regular season. Once he's cleared to practice, he'll continue to hone his craft at tight end, more as a potential replacement for Jason Witten in the long term than anything. In the meantime, James Hanna and Geoff Swaim will operate as the Cowboys' reserve tight ends.