Julius Wood Injury Update: Will Cowboys Safety Play in Preseason Finale?

Julius Wood has become a fan favorite during the preseason, making one play after another for the Dallas Cowboys over the first two games.

Wood had five tackles in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. He followed that up with seven more tackles in their Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, he was also injured during that game, being forced to leave with a concussion.

That left his status for the preseason finale at home against the New Orleans Saints in doubt. With the game approaching, his status was updated and it was good news.

Will Julius Wood play in the Cowboys final preseason game?

Dallas Cowboys safety Julius Wood goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With kickoff approaching, the Cowboys received great news about Wood. The 2024 undrafted free agent cleared concussion protocol and will be active against the Saints.

Cowboys S Julius Wood (concussion) is suited up and participating in pregame warmups. Big night for him on the bubble.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 28, 2026

For Wood, this is huge since he's been fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. He has a tough path to a spot on the team with Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke, and Markquese Bell all seemingly secured a spot. Wood is also battling Alijah Clark, who had nine tackles in the win over the Cardinals last week.

His special teams play will be the key to making the roster, but he's also proven capable of stepping up on the base defense, especially when it comes to playing in the box.

Julius Wood is in his second stint with the Cowboys

Tennessee Titans D Julius Wood hits Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ryan Miller. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A product of ECU, Wood turned heads during his rookie season with the Cowboys, but didn't make the initial 53-man roster. Dallas hoped to retain him via the practice squad, but they never got the chance to re-sign him with the Tennessee Titans making a claim on waivers.

He appeared in nine games with the Titans during his rookie season, but was released during the following summer. Wood was without a job until October, when the Cowboys signed him back to the practice squad, where he remained for the rest of the season.

Once the year ended, he was signed to a reserve/future contract, giving him another chance to catch on with the franchise that originally brought him in following his career with East Carolina. Wood and the rest of the Cowboys players on the bubble will take the field at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN Unlimited.

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