FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys ruled out safety Malik Hooker and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown on Friday for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Hooker has a forearm injury, and Overshown has a hamstring injury. Neither practiced Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
No other Cowboys player carries a game designation. Outside linebacker James Houston was limited Wednesday with a shoulder injury and practiced fully Thursday and Friday. Tackle Ajani Cornelius was a full participant all three days with a knee injury.
Jaishawn Barham Takes Green Dot With DeMarvion Overshown, Malik Hooker Out
Overshown wore the green dot in the opener and played 51 defensive snaps. Rookie Jaishawn Barham, a third-round pick, played 34, and Dee Winters played 40.
“He’ll be the green dot for us, and again, he’s got great command of what we’re doing,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday.
Sunday is the Cowboys’ home opener at AT&T Stadium, after a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium. Washington is also 0-1 after a 24-22 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Had to get into a little teaching moment this morning on the radio,” Schottenheimer explained. “The green dot, I think, gets overblown at times, and again, basically what you’re doing, you’re repeating the call, and then you’re setting fronts and all that, and then knowing it’s going to be a harder, more nonverbal week of communicating because of the crowd noise.”
Overshown strained his hamstring with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter against New York and finished with 7 tackles. On Monday, Schottenheimer said the injury could cost him one to two weeks and was nothing long-term.
A third-round pick out of Texas in 2023, Overshown missed his rookie season after tearing his ACL in the preseason. He tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL in Week 14 of the 2024 season. Last season, he returned in Week 11 and made 28 tackles in six games.
Hooker left the Giants game in the final minute of the third quarter, on a 2-yard quarterback scramble, after 12 defensive snaps and 1 tackle. Late Sunday, Schottenheimer said X-rays at MetLife Stadium suggested a fractured forearm. The fracture was confirmed Monday, and Hooker was scheduled for surgery the next day.
“It sounds like it’s one that doesn’t require as long a period of time [to recover],” Schottenheimer said Monday.
Dallas is hoping for a two-week window, Schottenheimer said, and Hooker is not expected to need injured reserve. He had surgery Tuesday, and Schottenheimer said before Wednesday’s practice that it went well.
Jalen Thompson played all 69 defensive snaps at safety against New York. P.J. Locke played 28. Schottenheimer said this week that Locke, not first-round pick Caleb Downs, is the plan at safety while Hooker is out.
“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.”
James Houston, Ajani Cornelius Finish Week As Full Participants
Houston was not on last week’s injury report. Against the Giants, he played 10 defensive snaps and 10 on special teams and made 1 tackle. Last season, his first in Dallas, Houston had 5.5 sacks.
Cornelius was limited in every practice before Week 1 and was inactive against New York. Dallas drafted him in the sixth round, 204th overall, in 2025. The Cowboys placed him on injured reserve on Nov. 17, 2025, and activated him Feb. 15. He has appeared in 1 NFL game.
Guard Tyler Smith is on injured reserve after thumb surgery. Running back Malik Davis went on injured reserve Sept. 12 with a hip injury.
Washington ruled out linebacker Frankie Luvu (groin) and tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) on its final report. Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced both absences Friday morning. Neither practiced this week.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is questionable with a back injury. Kinlaw was not on Wednesday’s report, missed Thursday’s practice, and was limited Friday. Five more Commanders were limited all three days and carry no designation, and four finished the week as full participants.
Rookie Sonny Styles took over the green dot for Washington after Luvu left the loss in Philadelphia. ProFootballTalk reported that Styles is likely to handle the defensive signals again Sunday.
Dallas swept Washington last season, winning 44-22 in Arlington in October and 30-23 at Northwest Stadium on Christmas. The Cowboys have won eight of the last 10 meetings.
Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX, with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady calling the game. Dallas plays the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27.
