FRISCO - The diagnoses from Monday at The Star turned Sunday's secondary attrition into a calendar problem.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said cornerback Cobie Durant has a hamstring strain and safety P.J. Locke tore the plantar fascia in his foot, both injuries suffered in Dallas' 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders, DallasCowboys.com reported. Schottenheimer said both players could miss multiple weeks and that the club had not finalized any injured-reserve decisions.
That update lands with a short week already on the board. The Cowboys practice the next three days in Frisco, then depart Thursday night for a roughly 10-hour flight to Brazil, where they meet the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Maracanã Stadium. Kickoff is listed at 3:25 p.m. CT, with Dallas as the designated home team.
Two new absences on top of two openers
Durant left late in the first half Sunday with the Commanders near the goal line. Locke exited on Washington's opening drive. Markquese Bell took Locke's snaps, and second-year corner Shavon Revel Jr. replaced Durant, Dallas Sports Journal reported from the Monday availability.
Neither player was a temporary depth piece on paper. Locke signed in free agency after his Denver years and was starting at safety with Malik Hooker already out. Durant arrived from the Rams this offseason; Dallas Sports Journal noted his Rams totals of 141 tackles, 7 interceptions, 26 passes defensed and 2 defensive touchdowns across four seasons.
Schottenheimer said a complete plantar-fascia tear - rather than a partial one - is typically the better healing path. "It's pretty sore for a week, and then it begins to heal much quicker when you tear it fully," he said, per the team's site. That did not change the immediate outlook: a few weeks, with IR still an open question for either player.
Hooker and Overshown still in the rehab group
The secondary problem did not start Sunday. Hooker fractured his forearm in the Week 1 loss to the New York Giants and had surgery the following Tuesday. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown strained a hamstring in that same game after 7 tackles and was inactive against Washington along with Hooker.
Asked about either returning against the Ravens, Schottenheimer declined to shut the door but flagged the compressed schedule. "Got to get through the week. Could be tough just because it's a shorter week for us, but not saying no," he said, according to DallasCowboys.com.
Overshown has made progress in rehab, Schottenheimer told reporters Monday, Dallas Sports Journal reported. Even an optimistic read still leaves Dallas preparing for Lamar Jackson without assuming those two veterans are available in Rio.
