It’s not exactly what the Dallas Cowboys needed. Already down one linebacker thanks to the hamstring injury suffered by DeMarvion Overshown for their Week 2 home opener against the Commanders, the Cowboys also lost starter Dee Winters early in the second quarter. The Overshown injury forced Jaishawn Barham into the starting lineup, and now, the Cowboys could have to turn to two practice squad veterans, Justin Barron and Curtis Robinson.
Winters went to the blue medical tent with a shoulder injury. He later returned.
As ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on Twitter/X: “Dee Winters down now. Cowboys already without DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring). They called up two LBs from practice squad in Curtis Robinson, Justin Barron.”
Dee Winters a Key for Cowboys
Winters, of course, was acquired by the Cowboys during the draft in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick, after several attempts to finally solve their problem at linebacker in free agency failed. The Cowboys made offers to star-caliber linebackers like Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd, but were rebuffed by all three. They also had trade discussions with the Dolphins on Jordyn Brooks, but again, those talks produced no results.
So the Cowboys have pieced together their linebacker room with Winters and Overshown originally the starters, and Barham–a third-round rookie–replacing Overshown when he was injured. Barham struggled in his Week 1 debut against the Giants last week.
The Cowboys are thin at linebacker even at full strength, so keeping Winters healthy will be important.
Another Cowboys Starter Injured in Commanders Game