George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr., And DeMarvion Overshown Headline Dallas Cowboys’ Inactive List Against Indianapolis Colts
INDIANAPOLIS — Wide receiver George Pickens, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown are inactive for the Dallas Cowboys against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Less than two hours before kickoff, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that all three would sit. The Cowboys’ inactive list also included wide receiver KaVontae Turpin, outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat, offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius, and tight end Luke Schoonmaker.
On Friday, Pickens, Porter, Overshown, and Schoonmaker (groin) were among seven Cowboys listed as questionable. Tight end Jake Ferguson (ankle), defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard (calf), and outside linebacker Marist Liufau (forearm) were the other three, and all three are active. Turpin (ribs) was ruled out Friday. Wheat and Cornelius were not on the injury report.
Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for noon CT on FOX. Dallas enters at 3-5 after losing three of its last four games, and Indianapolis is 2-6 with four straight losses. The Cowboys have not played in Indianapolis since 2018.
George Pickens Misses First Game Since Joining Dallas Cowboys
Sunday is the first game Pickens has missed since Dallas acquired him in a May 2025 trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He practiced on a limited basis all three days this week with a hamstring injury.
A week earlier, Pickens was questionable with shoulder and hamstring injuries before the 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He played 57% of the offensive snaps in that game and caught 2 of 4 targets for 48 yards. Through eight games, Pickens has 39 catches for 533 yards and 2 touchdowns. His receiving yardage ranked 14th in the NFL entering the weekend.
Friday’s practice was a big day for the staff, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said that morning on 105.3 The Fan’s Shan & RJ, because Dallas wanted to see its limited players move around and find out how they felt.
“With Joey and GP, it’s the same thing, kind of as last week,” Schottenheimer said. “They’ll be a little bit limited, but we’re hopeful that they’re able to play. Hopeful for GP as well.”
CeeDee Lamb leads the NFL with 92 targets and has 60 catches for 709 yards. Ryan Flournoy has 30 catches for 342 yards.
On Saturday, Dallas elevated wide receiver Jordan Hudson, an undrafted rookie out of SMU, from the practice squad. Turpin has not played since he was hurt on the opening kickoff at the Green Bay Packers.
Joey Porter Jr., DeMarvion Overshown Also Out At Indianapolis
Dallas acquired Porter from Pittsburgh on Sept. 30 for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. He made his Cowboys debut four days later in a 34-30 win at the Houston Texans and has dealt with the ankle injury since. An illness kept him out of the 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.
At the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 26, Porter played a season-high 77.3% of the defensive snaps in a 38-21 win. Quarterbacks had a 39.6 passer rating when targeting him entering the Arizona game. The ankle limited him for much of that game, and he was off the field as Arizona rallied from a 17-3 deficit. This week, Porter practiced fully Wednesday before he was limited Thursday and Friday.
The pain had been frustrating for Porter while he played through it, and against Arizona it was not good. His plan afterward was to go back to the training room and keep up the treatment.
“From my point of view, [the defense’s struggles were] just me not being out there with the guys,” Porter said. “I want to be a leader on this team. I want to be a guy that they can lean on, so me not being out there is really frustrating for me. … I’ve just got to get on the field no matter what.”
Overshown made 7 tackles in the season opener at the New York Giants on Sept. 13 before he hurt his right hamstring in the fourth quarter of the 28-20 loss. He missed the next five games. After he returned at Philadelphia with an interception, Overshown had 8 tackles and a forced fumble against Arizona.
Overshown was not on Wednesday’s injury report. The Cowboys added him Thursday as a limited participant with back and hamstring injuries, and he was limited again Friday.
Linebacker Dee Winters practiced fully Thursday and Friday with a calf injury and had no game designation. On Saturday, Dallas placed rookie outside linebacker Malachi Lawrence (ankle) on injured reserve and activated Liufau.
