Dallas Cowboys Safety Malik Hooker Slated to Miss Time After Week 1 Injury

It appears the Dallas Cowboys might be without safety Malik Hooker for the foreseeable future.

On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Hooker has sustained a fractured bone in his forearm and is currently talking to a hand specialist to figure out his recovery timeline.

Rapoport notes that Hooker could miss up to six weeks with the injury, but that isn't certain and will depend upon the break.

"Cowboys S Malik Hooker fractured a bone in his forearm and he’s consulting with a hand specialist to learn his recovery time, sources say," Rapoport reported.

"While some breaks can mean a player is out six weeks, the hope is based on the specific bone and break, it’s quicker than that," Rapoport added.

This checks out with what head coach Brian Schottenheimer said following the Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, when he told reporters that he believed Hooker had a forearm fracture.

As Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones noted on 105.3 The Fan, some fractures can be played through, so there is at least a slight chance Hooker doesn't miss time, but Dallas can't say for sure yet.

Hooker suffered the injury in the second half of the loss to New York and did not return.

Hooker wasn't the only player the Cowboys lost to injury in the first game of the season, as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown also left early because of a hamstring injury. There has been no update on Overshown's status as of this writing.

How Cowboys replace Malik Hooker

Dallas Cowboys safety P.J. Locke. — Dallas Cowboys safety P.J. Locke (1) at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hooker is effectively the Cowboys' third safety behind Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson.

That was confirmed in Week 1, when Dallas deployed Downs as the primary safety alongside Thompson when he wasn't in the slot.

With Hooker sidelined, P.J. Locke will almost certainly step into Hooker's role, and we could see more work for guys like Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell, neither of whom saw any snaps on defense in Week 1.

Because of Hooker's reduced role with Downs coming aboard, and with the presence of Locke, we don't suspect the Cowboys will do anything significant in terms of making a move to add to it.

Malik Hooker's murky future

Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker. — Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (24) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hooker is entering the final year of his contract and he was often considered a cut or trade candidate throughout the offseason, especially after Dallas overhauled its safeties room.

But Hooker managed to stick around despite all of that and was playing a fairly sizeable role on the defense, also.

But, all bets are off after this season, when Hooker is slated to be a free agent. We could even see Hooker get traded at the deadline if Dallas' season really goes south.

One way or the other, Hooker's days with the Cowboys are numbered.

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