It’s been a tough go for the Dallas Cowboys on the defensive side of the ball when it comes to injuries.
Defensive backs Cobie Durant, P.J. Locke, and Malik Hooker are dealing with injuries that are casting doubt on when they will return. DeMarvion Overshown has also been hurt; he should be back soon, but it’s unclear whether he will be ready for Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil.
Three key defensive depth players are also on IR: Devin Moore, Kelvin Gilliam Jr., and Marist Liufau. Dallas might get one of those guys back soon.
Dallas Cowboys Are Close to Getting Defender Off IR
During the team’s first practice of the week, ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer made a simple observation. Archer saw Liufau do something he hasn’t done since last month.
“First time we’ve seen Marist Liufau doing some conditioning work since he broke his forearm in the preseason.”
This is Liufau’s third season in the NFL after the Cowboys picked him in the third round of the 2024 draft. In 34 career games, he has racked up 80 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hits, 3 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery.
Cowboys Are Close to Getting Marist Liufau Back on the Field
It would be huge for the Cowboys to have Liufau back on the roster and helping the defense out. Dallas needs all the support it can get, and a lack of pass rush is really hurting it. They only have two sacks through two games.
Liufau’s return would give them more speed and depth at edge rusher. They haven’t produced the kind of numbers they hoped for when Dallas added Rashan Gary and Von Miller to the team.
The Cowboys have struggled on defense early in the season, with more of the issues coming in the secondary. Their pass defense has struggled to slow the attack until it gets into the red zone.
Dallas has plenty to clean up, including its third-down defense, which is the worst in the NFL. They allowed 9 of 11 in Week 1 and 8 of 14 in Week 2. That is not a good recipe for success if they were hoping to win games.
Liufau still has two more weeks on IR before he can be eligible to return. After that point, the Cowboys have 21 days to put him on the active roster. It looks like he could be back on the early end of that 21-day window.
The Cowboys should be careful what they do with Liufau, but getting him on the field sooner rather than later will help. As injuries start to pile up in the season, they need help as quickly as possible.
Cowboys Get Promising Injury Update on 238-Pound Defender at Practice