The one thing the Dallas Cowboys wanted to avoid early in the 2026 season was injuries to defensive players, and that hasn’t gone so well. As the Cowboys get ready to head to Rio de Janeiro to take on the Baltimore Ravens, they have four players that enter this week with injury concerns.
There also are concerns about the playing conditions the Cowboys and Ravens will face at Maracanã Stadium, though everyone sounds confident it will all work out. Meanwhile, a prized Cowboys rookie, perceived to be off to a slow start, may be playing better than people realize.
Here’s what Dallas is up to.
Dallas Cowboys injury update: More will be known soon
Dallas had
two players leave Sunday’s win over Washington and their status for this week’s game at Rio de Janeiro won’t be known until midweek. Cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring) and safety P.J. Locke (foot) both left and did not return, while linebacker Jaishawn Barham suffered a stinger in the game but returned and forced a fumble. Durant was seen on the sidelines in a walking boot.
"We did get beat up a little bit, so we'll figure that stuff out in the morning," coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "But yeah, it's a unique week, but one that we're looking forward to. We'll take any test people want to throw at us."
Two other players who missed the game are likely also to be questionable for this week against Baltimore: Safety Malik Hooker (forearm fracture) and DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) were ruled out for “one to two weeks” before the Washington game.
Dallas’ first injury report is due Wednesday.
Jerry Jones expounds on Rio field conditions
Just in time to cause some serious concern, the goalie for the Brazilian soccer giant Flamengo, Agustin Rossi, trashed the playing conditions at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro his team calls home. This is a problem because the Dallas Cowboys play the Baltimore Ravens on that field Sunday.
"It's unbelievable that we're playing on a field like this. Both penalty areas are bad as [expletive]," Rossi told Brazilian sports outlet ge. "If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere. There's still going to be an NFL game here during the international break. After that game, I hope the field is in better shape."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones alluded to this while saying he was still mostly clueless about the field conditions.
"Well, I'm not up to date on it,” he said. “I was asking about it before the game, but I don't know anymore now than I knew then," he said. "We'll look at that, and I know that it's of utmost concern to the league that the teams have a good playing surface down there. You'll certainly stay informed as we look into it, and it's front of mind now that we've gotten past the Washington Commanders."
Coach Brian Schottenheimer sounded more optimistic.
“I have no concerns,” he said. “I'm aware of some of the quotes and stuff, but again, I trust that the league's going to make the right decision and they'll get the field up to standard. (NFL head of football operations) Todd Williams and his team, operationally, were talking to the league office; and they were working through that last night and into today."
Stephen Jones, Jerry’s son and Cowboys COO, sounded a similar note.
"I don't have concerns only because the league has said full speed ahead," Stephen Jones said. "If there was a real concern, there would have already been contingency plans being made. I know how the league works, about where we play the game if it weren't there, and there's none of that. So, I think we're full speed ahead."
Jaishawn Barham stands out
Part of the aftermath of the opening loss to the New York Giants for the Dallas Cowboys was the scrutiny that fell on rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham after a perceived lack of effort and an emotional reaction to a sideline talk with defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
He bounced back with a forced fumble against Washington that set up Dak Prescott’s record-breaking touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb (franchise record for most touchdown passes) and it turns out he’s off to a better start than many realized.
Pro Football Focus, which is becoming something of a bible for the NFL, wrote this about Barham: “While playing 79 snaps against the division-rival Giants and Commanders, Barham has accrued an 84.8 overall PFF grade. Not only is that the best in the NFL among qualified rookie defenders, but it’s also fairly exclusive air for a rookie. Since 2022, Barham’s mark is the second-best among first-year defensive players to play 75-plus snaps through Week 2, trailing only the grade reached by Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. in 2023 (85.2).”
He’s a sportsbook value pick for rookie of the year, coming in at +8000 (80-1) per BetMGM.com. Giants edge David Bailey is +325 while Dallas’ Caleb Downs is next at +500.
Who do the Dallas Cowboys play next?
The Dallas Cowboys “host” the Baltimore Ravens in the first game in NFL history in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT/5:25 local Rio time kickoff will be televised on CBS.
Cowboys vs. Ravens: What are the odds?
The Baltimore Ravens are a 3-point favorite against Dallas in the neutral field game in Rio de Janeiro, per BetMGM.com. The over/under is 52.5, Baltimore is -160 on the money line while Dallas is +130.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Cowboys' win comes with injury concerns before Rio trip to play Ravens
