Injuries Forcing Dallas Cowboys to Give Benched Rookie More Playing Time

The Dallas Cowboys are having to shuffle the depth chart on defense ahead of Week 10's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham (55) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys have been no stranger to injuries this season, especially on defense. These issues are continuing headed into Week 10's home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

These ailments certainly haven't helped an already struggling defense find its stride under defensive coordinator Christian Parker. But despite a 4-5 record, the Cowboys are still well within range of winning the NFC East and securing a playoff spot.

With the trade deadline having come and gone, the Dallas defense has no choice but make do with what it's got, regardless of who's healthy or not.

Cowboys LB Jaishawn Barham Set to Return to Lineup in Week 10

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham (55) on defense during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a result, Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham is set to receive more playing time as Dallas deals with injuries at edge rusher, Parker told the media on Thursday.

Barham played just three snaps on defense in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. This comes after he saw snap counts of just 21 and 16 in Weeks 7 and 8, respectively. Despite starting six games this season at off-ball linebacker, his playing time has decreased significantly in recent weeks.

But with Donovan Ezeiruaku dealing with an ankle injury in danger of missing Sunday's game, the Cowboys set to use Barham at outside linebacker against the 49ers.

"Next man up, we have some guys who have played significant steps throughout the year," Parker said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "That's a rotational position. Then we'll get Jaishawn more involved there. He's kind of been involved there in some spotlight duty already with some different packages we've had throughout the season. We'll be able to deploy him there some too."

Barham impressed during the preseason before showing flashes early on in the regular season. Through nine games, he's tallied 35 total tackles (20 solo), four tackles for loss and one quarterback hit on 325 defensive snaps.

It's clear that Barham hit a rookie wall. With the Dallas defense struggling, the coaching staff had no choice but to push him further down the depth chart.

Perhaps a solid showing as a pass rusher could give Barham fewer responsibilities to worry about and allow him to play a bit looser. Sacking Niners quarterback Brock Purdy would certainly boost his confidence while giving Dallas' defense the boost it needs to help upset San Francisco in Week 10.

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