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Cowboys Receive Good News on Thursday's Injury Report vs. Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys head into Week 2's home opener against the Washington Commanders with some injury issues.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys are heading into Week 2's home opener against the Washington Commanders with some injury issues.

Fortunately, Dallas received some good news during Thursday's practice, which revealed a new update to the injury report.

Cowboys linebacker James Houston was upgraded from limited to a full participant as he deals with a shoulder injury. Houston had just one tackle in Dallas' 28-20 loss to the New York Giants in Week 1.

Cowboys offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius (knee) remained a full participant for the second straight practice.

Houston's presence often gets overlooked on the Cowboys' defense, but Houston proved to be an important piece last season when he finished with 35 total tackles (18 solo), 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while playing in all 17 games.

However, there are still some notable names sidelined for Dallas on defense as the team gets set to host Washington.

Two Players Still Remain Out of Practice for Dallas

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown
Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (0) during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As expected, Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and safety Malik Hooker (forearm) both remained sidelined during Thursday's practice after picking up injuries against the Giants.

Overshown's ailment has caused particular concern due to both his injury history along with where it leaves Dallas at the linebacker spot.

Overshown wears the green dot on defense, but with his expected absence against Washington, the Cowboys could have to pivot elsewhere when it comes to deciding who will communicate the calls on defense.

The expected solution is that rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham will take over the green dot role, though there's some concern about whether or not this is the best course of action for a Dallas defense that got off to a less-than-ideal start in Week 1.

Other Injury Notes for Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith
Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith at training camp press conference at the River Ridge Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Thursday's practice, Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith was spotted wearing a small cast on his left thumb as he recovers from surgery to repair a ligament tear, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

Smith landed on injured reserve prior to Week 1 with the surprising injury. In his place, T.J. Bass started at left guard against New York.

Dallas would no doubt love to get Smith back as soon as possible, but he will miss at least the next three games for the Cowboys.

After the home opener against Washington, the Cowboys will play the Baltimore Ravens in Rio De Janeiro before visiting the Houston Texans in Week 4.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He currently is an editor and contributor across several ON SI team sites, including Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI, and contributes to the On SI channels for the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Zach started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. During his career, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7.

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