Key Cowboys unit expected to be back at full strength in Week 9

The Dallas Cowboys have been plagued by injuries throughout the first two months of the 2025-26 NFL season, with the offensive line and the defensive backfield among the units hit the hardest.

While the secondary is still battling its issues, there is some good news on the horizon for the offensive line.

For the team's Week 9 showdown with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys are expected to see starting center Cooper Beebe return to the lineup.

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Beebe has not played since suffering a lateral sprain and a bone fracture in his right foot during the team's overtime win over the New York Giants back in Week 2.

Dallas Cowboys center Cooper Beebe signals at the line against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

"I think this week will be the week," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan this week about Beebe's expected return.

"He was so close [last week]. I believe this will be the week."

Having the offensive line back to full strength should be a major boost for the Cowboys, who have seen the running game take a dip in recent weeks. Beebe anchors the offensive line, and is an important piece of the unit to call out defensive alignments and blitzes.

At one point this season, the Cowboys were down four of its five starting offensive linemen. Despite that, Dak Prescott has continued performing at an MVP level, so it will be exciting to see what he can do with all of his starters on the field.

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Beebe the Anchor

A general view of helmets at the line of scrimmage as Dallas Cowboys center Cooper Beebe snaps the ball at training camp | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Beebe entered his rookie season competing for the job in training camp despite never playing the position during his time in college at Kansas State. He immediately impressed the coaching staff and was inserted into the starting lineup, instantly becoming a fan favorite.

Beebe is also familiar with the new Cowboys offensive line coach Conor Riley, who coached him at Kansas State. When Beebe was drafted by Dallas, Riley knew that he would be an immediate star.

"I've told numerous people, based on his mental makeup – which is the thing that allowed him to play so early, allowed him to play so many different positions – he understood conceptually what we were doing offensively," he told the team's official website.

Throughout his time in Dallas, Beebe has racked up 18 starts. Let's hope that number becomes 19 on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals.

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