Dallas Cowboys Activate P.J. Locke From Injured Reserve, Elevate James Mitchell For Arizona Cardinals Game
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys activated safety P.J. Locke from injured reserve on Saturday. The club also elevated tight end James Mitchell from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium.
Locke fills the only opening Dallas had on its 53-man roster. The Cowboys created it Tuesday by waiving running back Emari Demercado, who ran 5 times for 15 yards in two appearances this season. Outside linebacker Marist Liufau and defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard remain on injured reserve. Dallas opened Liufau’s 21-day practice window Oct. 22 and Bullard’s on Thursday.
P.J. Locke Returns From Torn Plantar Fascia
In Week 2, Locke tore his plantar fascia. He went on injured reserve Sept. 26 after appearing in two games, with one start and 3 tackles. Dallas opened his practice window Oct. 23. He carried a questionable designation into Monday’s game at Philadelphia but was not activated and did not travel.
Liufau, Locke, and Bullard all practiced fully Friday, and all three were listed as questionable on the final injury report. Before that practice, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer did not say whether Locke or Liufau would get the open roster spot.
“We want to get through today. But, yes, again, I think both those guys are doing good and see how practice goes today,” Schottenheimer said. “But, yes, we’ll let you guys know.”
Dallas signed Locke to a one-year, $5 million contract March 10. He had spent the previous seven seasons with the Denver Broncos, the first of them on the practice squad. Current Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker coached Denver’s defensive backs from 2021 to 2023.
Denver started Locke in all 15 games he played in 2024, and he made a career-high 74 tackles. Last season, he started three of the 16 games he played and finished with 16 tackles and 3 passes defensed. Special teams took up more of his 2025 snaps than defense did. Dallas leads the NFL in kickoff coverage, allowing 19.3 yards per return.
At safety, Caleb Downs was limited Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury. He practiced fully Friday and carries no game designation.
James Mitchell Elevated With Luke Schoonmaker Questionable
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker is questionable for Sunday with a groin injury. He did not practice Thursday or Friday.
Dallas signed Mitchell to the practice squad Sept. 3, four days after the Carolina Panthers waived him in their final roster cuts. He is one of two tight ends on the practice squad. Over stints with the Detroit Lions and Carolina, Mitchell has appeared in 35 games and caught 16 passes for 169 yards and 1 touchdown.
He played in five games for the Panthers in 2025 and caught 3 passes for 28 yards. One of those games came against Dallas, a 30-27 Carolina win in Week 6. Mitchell played 10 offensive snaps in it without drawing a target.
Elevated players do not count against the 53-man limit, and Mitchell reverts to the practice squad after the game. A practice squad player can be elevated three times in a season before his team has to sign him to the active roster to keep using him.
Kickoff against Arizona is set for noon CT on FOX, with the Cowboys at 3-4 and the Cardinals at 2-5. On Friday’s injury report, Dallas ruled out returner KaVontae Turpin with a rib injury and linebacker Dee Winters with a calf injury. That same report listed wide receiver George Pickens as questionable with shoulder and hamstring injuries and defensive tackle Kenny Clark as questionable with a back injury. Schoonmaker, Liufau, and Bullard carry the same designation. Both teams turn in their inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, at 10:30 a.m. CT.
