Dallas Cowboys lose Ferguson, P.J. Locke and others to injuries
FRISCO, Texas
The Dallas Cowboys announced on Nov. 9, 2026 that several contributors will be sidelined following their Week 9 game on Nov. 8 at Indianapolis Professional Football Team. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the club faces difficult roster choices as multiple impact players are expected to miss more than a week of action. The developments follow a stretch in which key Cowboys players had begun returning to practice and play.
P.J. Locke suffered a concussion in the Nov. 8 game at Lucas Oil Stadium and was ruled out Monday for the upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers, a sign he likely will miss multiple contests. Locke had missed time earlier this season before returning and then sustaining a second concussion in as many weeks. He was motionless on the field for several moments before being helped to the sideline and not permitted to return.
On offense, Schottenheimer confirmed that tight end Jake Ferguson and running back Tyler Goodson will be sidelined for “multiple weeks” after sustaining knee injuries against Indianapolis Professional Football Team. Ferguson scored the Cowboys’ first touchdown in that game before later leaving with the injury. Goodson returned after his injury, but postgame testing revealed a more serious issue; he finished Week 9 with 77 rushing yards at a 6.7-yard average and had been serving as the team’s RB2 and as a kick returner in the absence of KaVontae Turpin (ribs).
Several other players remain in the club’s rehabilitation group after being ruled out before kickoff at Indianapolis Professional Football Team, including Turpin, DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring/back), George Pickens (hamstring) and Joey Porter Jr. (ankle). The Cowboys will evaluate that group this week to determine who can play against the 49ers. With Ferguson sidelined, Dallas expects Luke Schoonmaker to return from injury to bolster a depleted tight end room.
Safety Jalen Thompson remains in a holding pattern after suffering a hamstring injury that has cost him seven full games, and the team has not yet activated his 21-day practice window. Marist Liufau was activated from injured reserve last week. Malachi Lawrence was recently placed on injured reserve, leaving the Cowboys with only one injured reserve-designated-to-return (IR-DTR) slot remaining for the regular season, assuming Lawrence is eligible to return.
Schottenheimer said the club will face “tough decisions” about whom to keep on the 53-man roster while players rehab, a situation that would limit Dallas’s ability to add production to the active roster. If Ferguson, Goodson and P.J. Locke are moved to injured reserve, only one of them could be designated to return this season unless the Cowboys reach the playoffs. The Cowboys do not have their bye until Week 14, which leaves limited time to navigate the current string of injuries.
NFL Sports Blog Take
The Cowboys’ latest round of injuries highlights the roster pressure created by injured reserve-designated-to-return rules and the timing of the team’s bye week. Goodson’s recent role as RB2 and as a kick returner raises the cost of his absence, while Ferguson’s loss creates immediate strain at tight end despite Schoonmaker’s expected return. With only one IR-DTR slot remaining, Dallas must prioritize which injured players to retain on the 53-man roster or risk losing reinforcements to IR moves, and those choices will shape the team’s depth for the second half of the season.