The Dallas Cowboys had a loud offseason, making serious changes to their roster and coaching staff. All that paid off on Wednesday in Oxnard, California, in what appeared to be a stellar start to the training camp. For the first time in a long time, the locker room seemed totally healthy on day 1, with no player being put on the physically unable to perform or non-football injury lists. But then, with half an hour left in the practice, new safety P.J. Locke appeared to have injured himself.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News uploaded a photo on X of Locke limping off to the medical tent, accompanied by Jim Maurer, the head trainer. He later reported that P.J. hyperextended his knee while back pedaling during a play.

“He hyperextended his knee according to a person with knowledge of the health issue,” Watkins tweeted. “Club officials don’t seem overly concerned about his long-term health.”

For now, the Cowboys aren’t hitting the panic button. While a hyperextended knee can stress the ACL or meniscus, the non-contact nature of the injury is an encouraging sign. 

P.J. was signed as a free agent this offseason and brought in to compete for real snaps. Dallas’ safety room this camp includes Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker, Markquese Bell, Alijah Clark, Julius Wood, and Locke.

It is ironic that P.J. played through all 16 regular-season games last year after undergoing a lumbar spinal fusion surgery in January. It is considered a medical miracle by many. As far as Wednesday’s injury is concerned, an official update from the team would give more clarity on the severity of his knee. 

What we have now is a statement from former NFL scout Brian Broaddus, who gave a positive update on P.J.’s knee.

“It’s a knee injury with our guy Locke, but I was tagged, it should be okay,” he said on 105.3 The Fan.

After an “awesome” offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are dialed in

The Cowboys’ defensive unit looks completely transformed. After finishing the 2025 season with a league-worst 30.1 points allowed per game, the front office has made significant moves, which every Cowboys fan is curious to see how it is going to play out when the regular season begins.

The front office moved the needle by bringing in Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence with four-year rookie contracts, Cobie Durant is signed as a free agent, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is returning from an injury. The most significant of them all is the signing of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose player-centric approach is exactly what this reloading unit needs.

“All those moves that we made, it was a great offseason for us. One that we worked hard on,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said in the training camp opening press conference. “I feel amazing about what we did, with Christian Parker leading the way. It’s been an awesome offseason.”

They also placed a one-year non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens with a guaranteed $27.3 million salary. Pickens raised the bar incredibly high when he recorded 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns, each a career-high mark. Schottenheimer believes Pickens is more locked in this year than ever.

“He was as dialed in in meetings as I’ve seen him since he’s been here, just following along, questions,” Schottenheimer said. “I think you’re going to see a very motivated George Pickens going into the season. And I think that’s great news for us and maybe bad news for the rest of the league.”

With the training camp underway, the coaching staff is monitoring defensive lineman Donovan Ezeiruaku and defensive back DaRon Bland closely because they missed the spring due to injuries. The true test begins in Week 1, when we will see if this rebuilt defense can transform paper potential into a championship reality.