It didn’t take long for the injury bug to hit the Dallas Cowboys in the Green Bay Packers game. KaVontae Turpin, the Cowboys’ All-Pro return specialist, took a hard hit while returning the opening kickoff.
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He had returned the kick 25 yards to Dallas’ 34 when he picked up a rib injury, and Dallas ruled him out for the rest of the game shortly after.
“KaVontae Turpin gets up slow after the opening kickoff; KaVontae Turpin heads to the locker room with a hip injury,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote. “He is questionable to return. Could be big loss in the return game.”
For a team already missing linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Cobie Durant, and offensive tackle Drew Shelton, it was another gut punch. Tyler Goodson stepped in at kick returner, and rookie safety Caleb Downs took punt returns.
This season, Turpin had posted 20 kickoff returns for 549 yards entering the Packers game. He has been valuable for the Cowboys in the return game over the last two seasons, posting 904 and 1,814 kickoff return yards in 2024 and 2025, respectively. He also posted a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown in 2024.
Losing Turpin is going to be a problem for the Cowboys.
The special teams standout had mentioned in the offseason that there was a dip in his performance, but he was working to get better.
“I’ve just got to stop stopping my feet,” Turpin said. “I didn’t live to my expectations when I had 33 yards [per return] average, but I still averaged 25; I still was up there in the top five. I understand the expectation that I put on myself: I’ve got to be better, but at the same time, I’ve got to stop stopping my feet.”
That work showed up recently. Against the Houston Texans on October 4, he set a season high with 147 kick return yards and delivered his longest return of the year at 48 yards. It was the bright spot of a special teams day that also included another blocked field goal.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, he will probably have to sit this one out. While the gravity of his injury is not known, Dallas wasn’t having a good night on the field anyway.
Dallas Cowboys show no spark against the Packers
The rest of the first quarter wasn’t kind either. Dallas managed one first down before punting. Packers quarterback Jordan Love answered with a 14-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown to receiver Matthew Golden. Penalties helped Love rack up 109 passing yards on that single drive, the most by any player in at least five seasons, according to ESPN. The Cowboys defense came in ranked 31st in yards allowed, and that opening drive did nothing to change the picture.
Dallas did get a jolt. Linebacker Dee Winters, who entered the night with 35 tackles, jumped a pass intended for Golden and picked it off at the Green Bay 42, then raced toward the end zone. However, the TD was removed after it was reviewed, letting the interception stay on record. Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd was hurt on the play.
Winters had previously suffered a shoulder injury during Dallas’ September 20 win over Washington, briefly leaving before returning to the game. Against Green Bay, he went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter and was questionable to return.
Green Bay, with a 3-2 record, came in off a 31-7 rout of the Bears. And they charged through with the same momentum against Dallas, winning the game 23-13.