Dallas Cowboys Injury Update: Dee Winters, KaVontae Turpin Unlikely, Luke Schoonmaker Uncertain vs. Cardinals

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer does not expect George Pickens, Caleb Downs, or Quinnen Williams to miss Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Linebacker Dee Winters and returner KaVontae Turpin are unlikely to play, he said Friday at The Star.

All three of the players Schottenheimer expects to have were limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Pickens is listed with shoulder and hamstring injuries, Downs with an ankle injury, and Williams with a hamstring injury. Dallas held only a walkthrough Wednesday after its Monday night win in Philadelphia, so the participation listed that day was an estimate.

Tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who sat out Thursday’s practice with a groin injury, has a little something he is dealing with, too.

“I don’t think so. I think we’re pretty healthy,” Schottenheimer said. “Dee Winters, it’ll be hard for Dee to make it. Turp, probably another week. But most everybody else is doing pretty well as we go.”

“And [Schoonmaker]’s got a little something he’s dealing with. But for the most part, we’re pretty healthy. Those three guys you asked about,” Schottenheimer continued.

Pickens caught 4 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown on 6 targets in Monday’s 38-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, scoring from 21 yards out before halftime. Williams had a sack and 3 tackles for loss in that game. Downs went 11th overall in April after Dallas traded up one spot to take him out of Ohio State.

Dee Winters, KaVontae Turpin Trend Toward Missing Second Straight Game

Both were hurt Oct. 18 in a 23-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Turpin went down on the opening kickoff, which he returned 25 yards, and did not come back. Winters intercepted a pass late in the first quarter for the Dallas defense’s first interception of the season, then left with 13:36 remaining in the second.

The next day, Schottenheimer said Winters had an Achilles strain. Dallas has listed him with a calf injury on its practice reports since, and he has not practiced in either week. Turpin’s X-rays came back clean, and Schottenheimer described his injury as rib cartilage.

Winters had 35 tackles and a fumble recovery before the Green Bay game. He came over from the San Francisco 49ers in a draft-weekend trade. DeMarvion Overshown played in his spot Monday, in his first game since Week 1, and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter.

Turpin has made three Pro Bowls as a returner. Tyler Goodson handled kickoffs at Philadelphia, and his 99-yard return for a touchdown was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Luke Schoonmaker Has To Show He Can Move Before Cowboys Settle Tight End Plan

Schoonmaker was not on Wednesday’s report. Dallas added him Thursday as a non-participant, and Friday’s practice was his chance to show what he could do.

“I want to see him try to move around today, and I don’t know how much he’ll do,” Schottenheimer explained. “So we’ll see that after we get it done with practice.”

The Cowboys took Schoonmaker in the second round in 2023, 58th overall, and he played in all 51 regular-season games over his first three seasons. He was on the field for 11 of the Cowboys’ 68 offensive snaps in Philadelphia and was not targeted. Jake Ferguson is the starter, and Brevyn Spann-Ford played a career-high 53% of the offensive snaps against the Eagles.

Undrafted rookie Michael Trigg is back healthy after an injury in training camp, and Schottenheimer named him and James Mitchell as options if Schoonmaker cannot go.

“Again, I think he’s, in fact, he’s back healthy and working. Again, you got him, you got James Mitchell,” Schottenheimer said.

Trigg signed with Dallas in April out of Baylor, where he was a first-team All-Big 12 tight end in 2025. Mitchell joined the practice squad Sept. 3 after the Carolina Panthers released him in final cuts. The Detroit Lions drafted him in the fifth round in 2022 out of Virginia Tech.

Game designations come with Friday’s injury report. Dallas (3-4) hosts Arizona (2-5) at AT&T Stadium, and kickoff is set for noon CT on FOX.