The Dallas Cowboys had one of the healthiest offseasons in the league this time, emerging with an impeccably clean bill of health in September. But their luck ran out once the regular season began, especially where defense is concerned. Dallas went up against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday with four defensive players missing. They came out of the ordeal with a loss and more injuries.
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Following their 31-34 loss to Baltimore, the Dallas front office is looking to fill in the gaps in their defensive unit. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Cowboys are signing Juanyeh Thomas at safety and Alex Austin at cornerback ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans on Sunday, October 4.
The Cowboys’ latest roster move sees Thomas returning to Dallas just months after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. He initially signed with the Cowboys as a UDFA after the 2022 NFL Draft, making this return a full circle for Thomas.
“Was hard leaving the place I call home,” Thomas wrote on X, sharing Schultz’s post.
Thomas remained on the practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract in January 2023. The safety went on to play in the 2023 season opener against the New York Giants and blocked a field goal. He has been on special teams mostly, with most of his snaps on this unit.
Unfortunately, he was put on the reserve/non-football illness list last November due to chronic migraine headaches that affected his vision. It was an extremely painful time for him, holding him back from what could have been a breakout season.
While signing a safety with a recurring medical issue is risky, the Cowboys’ lack of backfield depth is also dire. Safety P.J. Locke was put on IR due to a torn plantar fascia, and Jalen Thompson is also out injured.
The Cowboys are down seven defensive players after the Ravens game, and the list includes important players like defensive backs Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel.
Revel hyperextended his right knee in the second half of the game. Although he is expected to return to practice during the week, the front office isn’t taking any chances, especially with Cobie Durant’s hamstring sprain and Devin Moore on Injured Reserve.
Thomas and Austin were among five players called for a tryout.
Austin was drafted by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft but was waived in August of the same year. His rocky journey in the league continued until he landed in New England, where he remained through 2025. The cornerback has played 29 games across three years, recording 31 tackles (including 25 solo tackles and 2 tackles for loss), 8 passes defended, and 1 pass intercepted.
But considering that well over half a dozen players on the Cowboys’ roster are struggling with some kind of injury, concerns surrounding their 2026 NFL journey are far from over. But the Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has some light on what to expect.
Schottenheimer Provides Updates on Cowboys’ Injured Players
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer kept all his starters benched during the preseason to keep them in top shape for the regular season. But the move’s effectiveness soon ran out, with safety Malik Hooker sustaining a fracture in his forearm and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown suffering hamstring injuries during the season opener.
According to Schottenheimer’s updates, Overshown is expected to rejoin practice this week. The coach stated that Hooker was also doing “really good,” but the team has yet to disclose a specific return date for the defensive player.
Here are other updates on injured players, via insider Tommy Yarrish:
DT Jonathan Bullard (calf strain) will probably miss a couple of weeks. S Jalen Thompson (hamstring) will be out for at least four weeks. Revel has not injured the knee which took a troubling blow when he was in college, and will practice this week.
Schottenheimer and Co. are hoping to see Overshown (hamstring) back in practice this week. Durant is rehabbing his injury, but he probably won’t be ready vs. Texan. G Tyler Smith (thumb) is “one of those guys that we’ll look at after this game that could potentially be ready to go for Tampa.”