The Dallas Cowboys owner made his intentions clear back during free agency, betting big on names that were supposed to fix what’s been broken in Dallas for years. But barely a few months in, that bet already looks shaky. One signing in particular is drawing the kind of scrutiny Jerry Jones hoped to avoid, and the fallout is starting to look bigger than anyone in the Cowboys’ front office expected.

Last month, on June 18, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Matt Hennessy will miss the entire 2026 season due to a neck injury and has already been placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Jerry Jones’ plan for his offensive line seems to have run into some trouble recently. In March, the Cowboys signed Hennessy to provide some veteran experience at the position by giving him a one-year deal worth $1.4 million after spending last season playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

He appeared in 17 games for the Niners in the 2025 season and got two starts there. He was seen as an inexpensive pickup to replace Brock Hoffman, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency this offseason. The idea was to use Hennessy as a backup to Cooper Beebe. That plan is officially done for now.

Hennessy suffered a neck injury during OTAs, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed last month that it required surgery. At first, everyone assumed this was a PUP list situation, nothing too alarming, just a veteran needing a few extra weeks. But the diagnosis turned out to be far more serious, and the Cowboys have now placed him on injured reserve, ending his season before it even started.

Nobody’s questioning Hennessy’s decision here. Neck injuries aren’t something you rush back from, and his health has to come first. But looking at this from Dallas’ side, it’s hard not to wonder if the front office would have gone in a different direction had they known he’d miss the entire season.

With Hennessy out, the Cowboys wasted no time addressing the gap, signing another offensive guard to shore up the depth chart.

Cowboys make OL move after Hennessy’s injury

The Cowboys just made a quiet but smart move up front. On June 18, they signed offensive lineman Chris Glaser to a two-year deal worth $2.265 million. Glaser isn’t a household name, and that’s fine. He’s 26, spent time on Dallas’s practice squad back in 2023, and has bounced around the league picking up snaps wherever he could.

His most recent game was in 2024, when he played for the Chicago Bears. Before that, he wore the New York Jets jersey in 2023 and has eight games under his belt in his entire career. The reason why he is useful is his versatility, as he has experience playing as either a guard or a center. However, his stats from 2023 (grade 59.5 pass block and 52.6 run block according to PFF) do not jump off the page, but they show a guy who can hold his own in a pinch.

And Dallas needs exactly that kind of guy right now. With Matt Hennessy landing on injured reserve after neck surgery, the backup center spot behind Cooper Beebe is suddenly open. Trevor Keegan is technically in the mix, but he had shaky snapping issues in Philadelphia. T.J. Bass has dabbled at center, too, though the Cowboys seem to view him more as a swing guard.

That leaves Glaser with a real shot. Insiders like Mauricio Rodriguez have pegged him as a strong bet to make the roster, with Keegan as his main competition. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported that Bass was the one taking backup center reps during OTAs.

“Matt Hennessy suffered a neck injury during OTAs and will be out for an undetermined length of time,” Watkins said. “That’s pushed T.J. Bass to backup center. Bass took snaps with the first and second-team offense during OTA practices.”

We won’t know much more until pads come on in Oxnard in late July. Worth watching.