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Former Cowboys Safety Pitches Reunion Amid Growing DB Injury Concerns

The Dallas Cowboys keep losing defensive backs to injury, and one former safety is pitching a reunion on social media.
Dallas Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas reacts during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas reacts during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive backs are dropping like flies for the Dallas Cowboys.

They went into their Week 3 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens without cornerback Cobie Durant and safeties Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke. During the game, even more defensive backs went down.

Jalen Thompson suffered a lower-body injury and was struggling to put weight on his injured leg. He was ruled out for the game. Markquese Bell was lost briefly as well, although he suffered from dehydration while playing in the humidity and returned. As if that wasn't enough, cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. injured his knee when attempting to tackle Zay Flowers and is also questionable.

Former Dallas Cowboys safety ready to help his old team

As the injuries were going on during the game against the Ravens, a former Dallas safety was on social media pitching his return. Juanyeh Thomas shared a GIF saying "I'll be home soon."

Thomas was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Georgia Tech. He didn't make the 53-man roster that season, but spent the year on the practice squad.

He did make it the following year and blocked a field goal in his debut. Thomas played in 16 games with one start and had 22 tackles and four pass deflections that year. He played in 13 games the following year and returned in 2025 as well. That season, Thomas had 26 tackles in just seven games with three starts.

Thomas, who is the older brother of New York Jets cornerback Azareye'h Thomas, was filling in for an injured Malik Hooker at the time, but he was eventually lost for the year as well. Thomas was dealing with chronic migraines and was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. In 2026, Thomas signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was unable to make their 53-man roster.

Cowboys are running out of options at safety

Dallas Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson reacts to a penalty call against the Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson reacts to a penalty call against the Baltimore Ravens. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Thompson, Hooker, and Locke all out, the Cowboys are running thin at safety. They have Bell and Alijah Clark, but can also move Caleb Downs to safety. That said, they prefer to keep Downs in the slot, where he's his most effective.

There are no players on the practice squad at the position after the Cowboys elevated Clark to help replace Hooker and Locke. That's why Thomas' pitch doesn't sound like a terrible idea.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.