Brian Schottenheimer’s Dallas Cowboys‘ defense has been one of the worst in team history, and frustration is clearly boiling over. With an uneven 3-4-1 record and the season slipping away, the pressure is on to turn things around before it’s too late. But there’s finally a glimmer of hope. After weeks of struggles, the defensive line could soon get a much-needed lift.

Perrion Winfrey is close to making his return. “Cowboys are opening DT Perrion Winfrey (back) 21-day practice window,” the SleeperCowboys posted on social media. Adam Schefter, too, dropped the news earlier, raising the hype. Over the next 21 days, the Cowboys will have to decide whether to add the player to the active roster.

If not, he’ll remain on injured reserve. The defensive tackle had an impressive training camp and preseason before suffering a back injury on August 31. No wonder head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed regret over not having Winfrey on the field. He recalled how emotional the moment was when he told Winfrey he’d made the active roster ahead of the regular season.

“Talk about a guy that’s had this amazing game taken away from him,” the coach detailed. “And you really realize how much these players love this game, what they sacrifice to play this game and what they have to give up and go through — the pounding it takes on their bodies.”

Winfrey, who thought he would get cut, made it to the team only for injuries to ruin it. He had to miss the game in Week 1 due to the injury, and later the Cowboys placed him on IR. He had brief stints with the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets.

And it’s not just Winfrey, the Cowboys are also opening the practice window for linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel. As for a trade, the Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, has yet to make a decision. Just a few days ago, Jones shut down the rumors of trading for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, as they have no wish to acquire an edge rusher. The Raiders also have no wish to trade the player.

They had also reportedly attempted to acquire defensive end Trey Hendrickson. It remains to be seen what the Cowboys ultimately decide to do. For now, the coach takes comfort in knowing that another key player could return later this season.

Brian Schottenheimer has hopes for Josh Butler

The Cowboys’ cornerback Josh Butler went down in December last year with a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. He spent the entire offseason in rehab. Later, the team placed Butler, who is earning a base salary of $960,000 with the Cowboys this season, on the PUP.

He will have a chance to return when the Cowboys plan to open the 21-day window for the player.

“I think Josh is doing everything he’s supposed to be doing right now,” the coach said. “He’s another guy that at any moment could come on. Right now, he’s doing an awesome job with Britt and those guys. He’s chomping at the bit.”

Despite losing sleep over the defeats, the coach’s faith in the players isn’t lost. He added how each player has stepped up to help.

“I have a line of guys at my door every couple of days of guys that want to get back out there and help us,” he said. “That’s how you know you have the right chemistry in the locker room, the right culture, because these guys see us struggling in some areas and they want to help. I love that.”

The Cowboys will need a lot of faith and game-changing weapons to turn things around when they face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.