Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker could miss as many as six weeks after suffering a fractured forearm in the team's Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, although his recovery timetable has not been determined.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Hooker is consulting a hand specialist to assess the injury and estimate how long he will be sidelined. Rapoport said the length of the absence will depend on the specific bone and the nature of the fracture, and that some breaks may heal more quickly than others.
Hooker was injured during the second half against New York and did not return. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game that he believed Hooker had fractured his forearm. Team co-owner Stephen Jones also said some fractures can be played through, leaving open the possibility that Hooker could avoid missing a game.
Hooker was not the only Dallas player injured in the opener. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown left the game early with a hamstring injury, and no update on his condition had been provided in the source material.
The Cowboys used Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson as their primary safeties in Week 1 when Downs was not playing in the slot. If Hooker is unavailable, P.J. Locke could take on his role, while Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell could receive additional opportunities. Neither Clark nor Bell played a defensive snap in the opener.
Hooker is in the final year of his contract and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. He had been viewed during the offseason as a possible trade or release candidate after Dallas changed its safety group, but he remained with the team and held a substantial defensive role in the opening game.
