Cowboys S Malik Hooker Fractures Bone In Forearm

Depending on the severity of the fracture, Hooker could sit out six-plus weeks. However, there is hope the 30-year-old will face a shorter recovery timeline, according to Rapoport. If the Cowboys expect Hooker to be unavailable for at least a few weeks, they figure to put him on injured reserve. That would shelve Hooker for at least four games, keeping him out against the Commanders, Ravens, Texans and Buccaneers.

Hooker played just 12 snaps during an ugly night for Dallas, which fell well short of expectations in Week 1. The Cowboys’ defense was among the worst in the NFL last year, leading to a slew of offseason changes that were supposed to upgrade the unit, but Sunday looked like a continuation of 2025.

With rookie coordinator Christian Parker making his debut, the Cowboys surrendered 394 total yards (they yielded 377 per game last season) and four touchdowns. They allowed quarterback Jaxson Dart to complete 23 of 29 attempts for 230 yards, three scores and a 134.2 passer rating, and the Giants bludgeoned them for 165 rushing yards. Based on EPA/drive, it has been the worst defensive performance of Week 1 so far (h/t: Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer). Unless the Broncos and/or Chiefs are unexpectedly putrid on Monday night, the Cowboys will enter Week 2 last in the NFL in that category.

Now in his sixth year with the Cowboys, Hooker came up as a potential release candidate during the winter. He wound up restructuring his contract and staying with the Cowboys for the last year of his deal. The longtime starter continued in that role Sunday, joining big-money free agent signing Jalen Thompson and first-round pick Caleb Downs at the back of the Cowboys’ defense. P.J. Locke, another free agent addition, could pick up the slack in Hooker’s absence. Locke played 28 defensive snaps and made two tackles in Week 1.