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Cowboys Injury Update on Jalen Thompson, Jonathan Bullard Is Awful News for Defense
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- Cowboys Injury Update on Jalen Thompson, Jonathan Bullard Is Awful News for Defense
The Dallas Cowboys ' defense just got thinner . The team placed safety Jalen Thompson and defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard on injured reserve Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter , taking two starters out of the lineup for at least four games.
Neither move is a surprise. Both players got hurt in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, and the team had already signaled extended absences. Chief operating officer Stephen Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan that Thompson, who has a hamstring injury, and fellow safety P.J. Locke were "both looking at four-plus weeks of missing time." Bullard strained his calf and is expected to miss at least three weeks. The IR placements make those timelines official, and they mean neither player can return before Dallas plays four more games.
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Cowboys' secondary keeps losing bodies
This one stings most on the back end. Dallas signed Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal in March, and he had been leading the secondary in snaps before he left in the second quarter against Baltimore. He joins a list that already includes safety Malik Hooker , cornerback Cobie Durant and Locke. Cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is also banged up with knee and ankle issues, though head coach Brian Schottenheimer sounded optimistic. "Shavon is actually doing pretty good. It's not the knee he injured in college," Schottenheimer said Tuesday .
The Cowboys are already patching holes. They brought back safety Juanyeh Thomas , who spent four seasons in Dallas and started three games last year when injuries hit the secondary. We'd expect him to see real snaps right away. Beggars can't be choosers at this point.
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Losing Bullard hurts in a different way. The veteran had just worked his way back from a training camp injury , and his absence takes some size out of the middle of the defensive line. Dallas will lean harder on its rotation up front, and that group will be tested right away.
Dallas is 1-2 and faces the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX. The first injury report of the week will show how many more names defensive coordinator Christian Parker has to work around.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
