Cowboys Elevate Two Defensive Backs Ahead of Texans Matchup

The Dallas Cowboys are adding reinforcements to their secondary ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Houston Texans.

With injuries continuing to affect the secondary, Dallas elevated safety Juanyeh Thomas and cornerback Reddy Steward from the practice squad to the active roster for Week 4. The moves give the Cowboys additional depth as they prepare for a Texans offense that could have star wide receiver Nico Collins back in the lineup.

Cowboys bring back Juanyeh Thomas

Thomas’ elevation comes just days after he rejoined the Cowboys’ practice squad.

Dallas originally signed Thomas to the practice squad this week after the team placed safety Jalen Thompson on injured reserve and continued dealing with injuries at the position. Now, he could be called upon against Houston.

Thomas spent his first three NFL seasons with Dallas after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech. He appeared in 36 games for the Cowboys, recording 62 tackles, five passes defensed and one forced fumble.

His experience in Dallas’ system should help him get acclimated quickly, while his special-teams ability gives the Cowboys another reason to have him active.

The timing is particularly important because Dallas’ safety depth has been tested throughout the first three weeks of the season.

Reddy Steward gets another opportunity

Steward will also be active for the second consecutive week.

The second-year cornerback was elevated last week against the Baltimore Ravens after Cobie Durant was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Durant remains unavailable for Sunday’s game against Houston, leaving Dallas in need of additional depth at cornerback.

Steward has already shown that he can contribute to the Cowboys’ defense and will have another opportunity to do so against the Texans.

His presence is especially valuable with Dallas attempting to navigate a crowded injury report at cornerback. The Cowboys are expected to get Shavon Revel Jr. back after he practiced fully Friday and carries no game designation, but the team still needs enough depth behind its starters.

Secondary depth could be critical against Houston

The Cowboys’ decision to elevate both defensive backs shows just how important depth has become for this defense.

Dallas should get Malik Hooker and Revel back, while newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is also set to make his Cowboys debut against Houston. Porter gives the defense another significant talent on the outside, but Dallas is still making sure it has enough players available to handle different packages and special-teams responsibilities.

That depth could be put to the test against a Houston offense with plenty of playmakers. If the Cowboys want to leave Houston with their second win of the season, they will need their defense to hold up and that could require contributions from players who weren’t even on the active roster a week ago.

For Thomas and Steward, Sunday represents an opportunity to show they can be trusted when their number is called. For Dallas, their presence provides some much-needed insurance in a secondary that has already endured its share of injuries this season.