The Dallas Cowboys enjoyed a much-needed week off in Week 10, but they will be back in action in Week 11. When they return to the field, the team will have a great opportunity to get back in the win column, as they will be taking on the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. However, there are some injury situations worth monitoring before this game.
In Week 9, the Cowboys thought they were in good shape against the Arizona Cardinals, but they ended up suffering a 27-17 loss, so it’s clear this team needs all hands on deck for every game moving forward. With that in mind, Dallas received a trio of important injury updates regarding safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas on Saturday.
Cowboys Get Mixed Bag of Injury Updates
For pretty much the entire 2025 campaign, the Cowboys’ defense has been in the spotlight for reasons beyond their control. That’s because Jerry Jones made the mind-boggling decision to trade the unit’s best player, Micah Parsons, to the Green Bay Packers right before the start of the season. As a result, the defense has been fighting just to stay afloat this season.
So far, that’s a fight they aren’t winning. Dallas’ defense has been arguably the worst unit in the league for a slew of reasons. Without a true No. 1 pass rusher anymore, the Cowboys are struggling to get to the quarterback. That’s putting more pressure on a beat-up secondary to hold up in coverage, which they haven’t been able to do.
Staying healthy is a big piece of the puzzle right now, and the team’s bye week allowed it a chance to give some key players a bit of a rest. In the secondary, that should help allow both Hooker and Wilson to play, but the same can’t be said for Thomas, who is expected to miss the team’s upcoming game with a calf injury.
“DT Solomon Thomas (calf) unlikely to play,” Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram shared in a post on X. “Safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson ‘trending toward playing.’”
Cowboys Need to Beat Raiders to Keep Slim Playoff Hopes Alive
GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 12: Solomon Thomas #90 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the NFL 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
At the NFL trade deadline, the Cowboys swung a pair of moves for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson in an effort to help shore up this side of the ball. Both guys should immediately come in and play big roles for Dallas’ defense, which is especially true now for Williams, given that Thomas is expected to be out for this game.
If there’s a team that has been worse than Dallas this season, it’s Las Vegas, which should give the well-rested Cowboys a shot at coming out on top. As we saw in Week 9, though, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, even when it appears one team is a significant favorite over the other. For the second straight game, Dallas will be playing on Monday Night Football, with kickoff for this game scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
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