The Cowboys took a hit before the game could even settle in at Lambeau Field. On the opening kickoff of Sunday night’s Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, KaVontae Turpin absorbed a heavy blow from multiple defenders and was quickly taken to the sideline for evaluation.
It didn’t take long for the situation to turn serious. Turpin was later ruled out for the rest of the night with a rib injury, and Dallas was already headed into halftime down 17-0.
NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark said Turpin was in rough shape when doctors examined the area.
"When he came off the field, he was holding that left rib area. And when doctors started poking that area, his knees buckled out from underneath him. He was in obvious pain, had a hard time moving, had a hard time breathing."
For now, the only real next step is waiting on an update from head coach Brian Schottenheimer after the game or later in the week when the Cowboys get back home to The Star in Frisco. A rib injury can vary widely in severity, and while Turpin could potentially avoid injured reserve, that remains speculation at this point.
Losing Turpin matters in two spots. He’s one of the league’s top return men, a three-time Pro Bowler and a one-time First Team All-Pro selection who leads the NFL in kick return yardage in the 2026 season. He’s also led the league in that category the past two years.
Dallas has used him on offense, too. This season, Turpin has logged four carries for 39 yards and two carries for 10 yards and a touchdown.
After Turpin went down, Tyler Goodson handled kickoff returns in the first half. If Turpin is forced to miss more time, Caleb Downs is a candidate to take over punt return duties; he’s listed as the backup on the depth chart alongside wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. Downs returned punts twice in his college career and could be in line for a bigger role if Turpin is sidelined for Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
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Cowboys Lose Another Key Piece In A Night They Couldnt Afford It
The Cowboys entered Sunday night already needing things to break their way, and losing KaVontae Turpin in the first half only made the margin for error even thinner. Turpin, who usually handles kick return duties, went out with a rib injury against the Packers and did not return, leaving Dallas to patch together yet another important spot on a night when it could ill afford another setback.
Jerry Jones still sounded encouraged by where the team is headed, pointing to the progress he sees despite Dallas sitting at 2-3. But a game like this serves as a reminder of how fragile that optimism can be when key pieces keep disappearing, especially on special teams, where Turpins speed and field-flipping ability are part of what makes this roster harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]
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Brian Schottenheimer has seen enough from Lawrence recently to make the move, and the coach signaled that more opportunities should follow. For a defense trying to steady itself, the decision gives Dallas a new look up front and a chance to see whether its young edge rusher can bring some needed energy into a difficult spot. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Sit Atop An NFC East Mess That Just Got Worse
The NFC East has spent the last few weeks looking like a division stuck in reverse, and the Cowboys loss to the Packers only added to the mess. With the Commanders set to enter Sunday as underdogs against the 49ers, the leagues most unpredictable division is suddenly staring at a stat line nobody wants attached to it: a chance to go winless in back-to-back weeks when every team played, something that has not happened since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
For the Cowboys, the bigger frustration is that the standings are still wide open even as the losses pile up. The Giants are sitting atop the division for now, but the upcoming slate could reshuffle everything again, leaving Dallas, Washington and the rest of the East to sort out whether this is a temporary rough patch or a much deeper slide. [Read more 🡒]