FRISCO, Texas — Safety Julius Wood is still in the concussion protocol and will probably carry it to Friday’s kickoff, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday, which leaves the Dallas Cowboys without a clear answer on him two days before the preseason finale.
Three other players missed Wednesday night’s practice at The Star entirely: defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, tight end DJ Rogers, and offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius.
“He’s doing individual stuff, but he’s still in the protocol and he’ll probably take that up to game time,” Schottenheimer said.
The Safety Room Julius Wood Is Trying to Make
Dallas gets only so many spots at the position, and Schottenheimer said the room runs deeper than the six or seven a reporter counted before asking him about it.
“You could say it’s tough. You could say it’s a positive. I think it’s a positive,” Schottenheimer explained. “We get only so many spots, but a very, very talented room. And it’s one of those battles that you look at, and we’ll see who plays and all that stuff. But it’s a deep room. It’s probably deeper than the six or seven you mentioned. Very, very good room. Very talented. And I don’t think it’s a problem. I think it’s a blessing.”
Malik Hooker is the holdover. Dallas added Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in the offseason with slot work in mind. Locke worked back into practice earlier in camp after a knee injury, and Schottenheimer said this month that Thompson was doing great after a hip issue. First-round pick Caleb Downs has worked at safety and in the slot since the spring.
Dallas has to move 37 players off the 90-man roster by Sunday.
Julius Wood’s Two Runs Through Dallas
Wood has been on the Cowboys roster twice. Dallas signed him as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina on May 9, 2024, kept him through that summer, and waived him on Aug. 27 at final cuts. Tennessee claimed him a day later.
He played nine games as a rookie for the Titans and recorded 2 tackles. The NFL suspended him six games on Dec. 3, 2024. Tennessee waived him on Aug. 25, 2025, and Dallas signed him back on Oct. 7. He did not appear in a game. The Cowboys gave him a futures contract on Jan. 6 to bring him into this camp.
Wood was a first-team All-AAC selection as a senior at East Carolina, where he led the team in tackles in 2022 and again in 2023. He is 25 and wears No. 32.
Friday’s finale against New Orleans kicks off at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium and airs on CBS locally. The Cowboys are 2-0 this preseason after a 17-7 win at Seattle and a 34-13 win at Arizona. Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 30.
Waiver claims are due at noon CT Monday, Aug. 31. Dallas opens the regular season Sunday, Sept. 13, at the New York Giants at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
