The first week of Dallas Cowboys training camp brought a little bit of everything, including a few injury developments that now shape the start of week two.
Dallas avoided the physically unable to perform and non-football injury lists when camp opened, even though there were a handful of players who could have landed there. That clean bill of health didn’t last long. Three players have since been hurt, and while one of the four Cowboys who sat out Saturday practice, Jake Ferguson, was dealing with a personal issue, the other absences are the ones worth tracking as the team gets set for its first padded practice Monday.
The good news is that none of the early injuries sound especially alarming.
Safety Juanyeh Thomas, who has opened camp on a strong note, was revealed Saturday to be dealing with a hip flexor. There’s no timeline yet for his return, but the Cowboys have not indicated this is a major concern. Thomas signed a three-year, $33 million contract in free agency and is expected to be one of the starters at safety in 2026.
With Thomas out, Markquese Bell and Caleb Downs have picked up more snaps with the first team at safety.
Another injury hit the secondary when cornerback Trikweze Childress was added to the report Saturday with an unspecified hamstring issue. Childress is fighting for a depth role, and his return date remains unclear. Even so, there’s been no sign that Dallas expects him to miss much time.
The earliest setback came on Day 1, when Juanyeh Locke hyperextended his knee and had to leave practice early. He has been out since then, though Brian Schottenheimer said Locke might only miss a few days. That’s an encouraging sign for a player expected to fill a depth role in his first season with the Cowboys.
Locke has also been seen outside at practice, which only adds to the sense that this one shouldn’t linger.
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