Cowboys fear major knee injury for LB DeMarvion Overshown

DeMarvion Overshown missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL and is again facing the possibility of a lengthy recovery. The Cowboys linebacker exited Monday’s loss with a knee injury.

After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy said the ailment was severe, adding that further testing would take place Tuesday to determine the severity of the issue. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports Overshown’s injury is believed to consist of not only another ACL tear, but other injuries as well. Provided that is the case, his season will be over with another long rehab process in front of him. Owner Jerry Jones confirmed via Jon Machota of The Athletic that surgery will be required.

Overshown entered the league with relatively high expectations last year based on his play in college. The Texas product tore his ACL during a preseason contest last summer, though, leaving him sidelined for his entire rookie campaign. He had managed to remain available for every game in 2024 before Monday night’s injury, handling a starter’s role along the way as expected.

The 24-year-old has amassed 90 tackles this season, which ranks second on the Cowboys. Overshown’s five sacks also place him second on the team, a testament to his impact both against the run and the pass. In a year where several other integral members of Dallas’ defense have missed time, Overshown is also in line for a notable absence. Even if the worst-case scenario were to be avoided in his case, the former third-rounder will not see the field until 2025 at the earliest.

Eric Kendricks joined the Cowboys this offseason in free agency, turning aside the chance to play for the 49ers and reuniting with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in the process. He leads the team with 119 tackles and will be expected to remain a central contributor on defense to close out the campaign. Kendricks is a pending free agent, though, and the Cowboys will have a number of other financial priorities to deal with this offseason. It would nevertheless come as no surprise if Dallas were to attempt to keep the Kendricks-Overshown tandem in place for 2025.

In the meantime, third-round rookie Marist Liufau will likely take on a first-team role over the final four games of the season. He took over for Overshown following the injury, allowing him to add to his totals in his debut campaign. Liufau has handled a rotational workload on defense while remaining a regular on special teams as well to date. The Notre Dame product could compete for a larger share of defensive snaps in 2025 with his play down the stretch as the Cowboys move on without Overshown in the fold.