ARLINGTON, Texas — Seven Dallas Cowboys are inactive for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and safety Malik Hooker are the two who were ruled out Friday. Both were hurt in the 28-20 Week 1 loss at the New York Giants.
Cornerback Caelen Carson is down for a second straight week. So are offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius and wide receiver Camden Brown. Outside linebacker James Houston and running back Tyler Goodson are the new names on the list.
Overshown strained a hamstring in the second half at MetLife Stadium. He had 7 tackles before he left. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer met with reporters after the game with no test results in hand.
“We’re not sure the severity of it yet,” Schottenheimer said.
Hooker went out in the third quarter after a collision with a Giants blocker, then went to the locker room for X-rays before the game ended. Schottenheimer said that night that Hooker “may have fractured his forearm,” with more testing to come. On Monday he confirmed the fracture. Hooker had surgery the next day. Schottenheimer put both players at one to two weeks.
P.J. Locke takes the deep safety spot. He signed with Dallas in March after six seasons in Denver. Caleb Downs, the first-round pick, took some snaps back there once Hooker went to the sideline in New Jersey.
“We love P.J. Locke,” Schottenheimer said. “I think Caleb played really, really well… Caleb’s a guy that can move around, but we like him down near the line of scrimmage.”
Jaishawn Barham Draws The Green Dot As Dallas Cowboys Elevate Two Linebackers
Overshown wore the green-dot helmet in the opener. The job is taking defensive coordinator Christian Parker‘s calls and relaying them to the rest of the defense. On Friday, Schottenheimer said rookie Jaishawn Barham would start at middle linebacker and handle it. Barham is a third-round pick playing his second NFL game.
“He’s got great command to what we’re doing,” Schottenheimer said. “I think the green dot gets overblown at times. He’s communicating calls and setting fronts, and the entire defense sets off of it.”
Friday afternoon, Dallas elevated linebackers Curtis Robinson and Justin Barron from the practice squad. Both play special teams. Robinson has worn the green dot before.
The other linebackers on the 53-man roster are Dee Winters and Shemar James. Schottenheimer went through the group on Monday, four days before the elevations were made.
“Dee Winters, obviously most experienced of the group,” Schottenheimer said. “Jaishawn [Barham] got some valuable playtime yesterday, did some good things, did some things that he needs to improve on. Shemar James is a valued member of our football team, very smart, very bright. And then we’ve got some guys on practice squad, we’ve got elevations. Curtis Robinson is a veteran, he’s played a lot of football in this league. And then Justin Barron’s a guy we have a lot of high expectations for.”
Tyrus Wheat Active Over James Houston In The Outside Linebacker Rotation
Tyrus Wheat is active for the first time this season. Houston played in the opener, 20 snaps in all, 10 on defense and 10 on special teams. He was limited Wednesday with a shoulder injury. Thursday and Friday he practiced in full, and he carried no game status into the weekend.
Wheat signed a one-year deal with Dallas in March. It is his second stint with the team. He played 20 games across 2023 and 2024 with the Cowboys, recording 17 tackles and half a sack. Last season with the Detroit Lions, he appeared in 15 games and set career highs with 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks, adding a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Most of his work has come on special teams. He logged 215 snaps there in Detroit last year, against 66 on defense.
Carson never appeared on the Week 2 injury report. He was inactive in New Jersey, too.
Cornelius practiced in full every day with a knee injury. Dallas drafted him 204th overall in 2025, and he has played 1 NFL game. The Cowboys placed him on injured reserve last Nov. 17 and activated him Feb. 15.
Brown is the only undrafted rookie on the 53-man roster. At Georgia Southern in 2025, after three seasons at Auburn, he caught 65 passes for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns. He scored twice in the preseason and made a play in each of Dallas’ three games.
Goodson is inactive in his first week on the roster. The Cowboys signed him off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad on Sept. 15 and waived Israel Abanikanda to make room. Three days earlier, Malik Davis went on season-ending injured reserve following hip surgery.
Undrafted out of Iowa in 2022, Goodson signed with the Green Bay Packers and later spent three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He has 54 carries for 264 yards and 1 touchdown in 33 career games, plus 19 receptions for 103 yards and 1 touchdown. Javonte Williams remains the lead back.
Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX. Dallas is 0-1.
