Malik Hooker’s forearm fracture could keep him out for up to six weeks, but the Dallas Cowboys do not yet have a firm recovery timetable. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Hooker is meeting with a hand specialist, whose evaluation will help determine the length of his absence. The specific bone involved and the type of break could affect how quickly he heals.
Hooker sustained the injury in the second half of Dallas’ Week 1 loss to the New York Giants and did not return. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said afterward that he thought Hooker had broken his forearm. Team co-owner Stephen Jones said some fractures can be played through, so Hooker might not miss a game.
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown also left the opener with a hamstring injury, and no update on his condition was provided. Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson were the Cowboys’ main safeties when Downs was not in the slot. P.J. Locke could fill Hooker’s role, with Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell also in line for more chances. Neither played a defensive snap in Week 1.
Hooker is in the last season of his contract and is set to become a free agent afterward. Dallas had considered him a possible trade or release target after changing its safety group, but he stayed and played a significant defensive role in the opener. His future with the team remains unsettled.
