The Dallas Cowboys have seen their defense ravaged by injury so far in the 2026 season, and for a unit that was not all that deep to begin with, that has been especially worrisome. The Cowboys, after spending much of the offseason overhauling the defensive unit under new coordinator Christian Parker, currently rate No. 31 in the NFL on the Pro Football Focus defensive charts, which is not great in a league with 32 teams. Worse, the Cowboys have seen three starters go down in the secondary, including veteran safety Malik Hooker, who left in Week 2 with a broken forearm.
Fellow safety Jalen Thompson is also out, for an extended period. PJ Locke, the third safety in the room, is out with plantar fasciitis, and is on the injured list. Starting cornerback Cobie Durant is out, too, and it’s not certain that his backup, Shavon Revel, will be able to play in Week 4. The Cowboys signed two defensive backs this week–old friend Juanyeh Thomas, as well as veteran Alex Austin–to help hold up the depth chart.
Malik Hooker Back at Cowboys Practice
There is, at least some good news for the Cowboys on Hooker. As bad as his injury sounds–a fracture in his forearm–he is trending toward playing after missing only one full week. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Tuesday that Hooker might be another week from playing, but apparently his outlook has changed.
That’s according to Todd Archer, Cowboys beat writer for ESPN, who noted on Twitter/X: “Safety Malik Hooker was back to practice for the first time since fracturing his forearm in the opener. He was wearing added protection but it looks like he could play Sunday if all goes well in practice.”
The Cowboys play the Texans on Sunday in Houston, one of just six standard 1 p.m. ET games for the team this season.
Cowboys Get Good News on Injured Starter for Week 4