While the spotlight from the Cowboys’ win against the Washington Commanders was on the terrible injury Jayden Daniels suffered, one Dallas star battled an injury issue of his own. And while the rumor mill around his recovery and medical procedures ramped up, he had to issue a cheeky clarification.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
We’re talking about cornerback Cobie Durant. While covering Terry McLaurin in the end zone, Durant went down after Jayden Daniels’ pass sailed over the receiver, only for Cowboys safety Markquese Bell to back into him and step directly on his groin, leaving the cornerback in obvious pain.
Durant went to the blue tent and never returned. He was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Then rumors claimed he might need an orchiectomy, forcing him to shut them down himself.
“Cobie Durant may need one testicle amputated following the brutal taint stomp he received from his own teammate Sunday afternoon,” NFL Insight wrote on X. “Durant is expected to undergo further testing Monday morning to determine the extent of the damage.”
Durant quickly shut that down. “My n*** ain’t going nowhere fam 😂😂😂 stop lying,” Durant wrote in an Instagram Story, reacting to a post that claimed, “Cobie Durant may need B**** amputated.”
Now, while the reports may sound odd, it’s not the first time the league has seen an injury to the groin escalate.
In December 1986, Seahawks safety Paul Moyer suffered a ruptured testicle after taking a knee to the groin against the Denver Broncos. He initially returned to the game, and Seattle first described the injury as strained abdominal muscles, before Moyer was hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery. Doctors were reportedly able to save about 85% of the testicle.
Bears cornerback Virgil Livers suffered an even more serious injury in 1976 after taking a knee to the groin against the Oakland Raiders. Livers initially continued playing, but severe swelling later forced him to the hospital, where doctors removed the ruptured testicle. He recovered and returned to continue his NFL career.
Those cases were severe, but a groin hit does not automatically lead to amputation. An orchiectomy is usually considered only when the testicle cannot be repaired or loses blood flow. Bruising and hematomas can often heal without surgery, and even a rupture may be repaired if the tissue can be saved.
The viral rumor may have been false, but Durant is still dealing with an injury that could keep him out for a while. He had a quiet but productive start to his Cowboys career, recording two tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in the Week 1 loss to the Giants before adding another pass breakup against Washington. Dallas has been inconsistent around him, opening 0-1 with a 28-20 loss to New York before responding with a 37-20 win over the Commanders to move to 1-1.
Now the secondary will be tested without Durant against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 3, and he is not the only starter Dallas could be missing. Safety P.J. Locke also went down against Washington with a torn plantar fascia in his foot.
Brian Schottenheimer said neither player is expected back immediately, noting that both “could be a few weeks.” He also explained that Locke’s complete tear could actually speed up the recovery process: “It’s pretty sore for a week, and then it begins to heal much quicker when you tear it fully.”
That leaves the secondary in question. Who takes Durant’s spot? Well, Schottenheimer had something of an answer for it.
“That’s real. I thought we used the elevations well for the linebackers. I think we’re working some things potentially on defense, maybe in the secondary. We’ve got some guys there that might step up and help us in a couple different roles. But as we get into the plan, I think it’s going to be what this league is about, is next man up.”
Shavon Revel Jr. stepped in after Durant went down against Washington, playing 20 defensive snaps and allowing one catch for 19 yards, while Schottenheimer has made it clear the defense is entering “next man up” territory.
With Durant and Locke potentially sidelined for multiple weeks, Revel and the rest of Dallas’ reshuffled secondary could be thrown straight into one of their toughest assignments yet against Jackson and Baltimore’s offense.