Five Cowboys Miss Practice With Roster Cuts Days Away

FRISCO, Texas — Five Dallas Cowboys players did not practice Tuesday at The Star in Frisco.

Tight ends Michael Trigg (toe) and DJ Rogers (knee) were out, along with offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius, defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard (groin/abs), and safety Julius Wood (concussion). Watkins reported in a follow-up post that knee soreness kept Cornelius off the field.

Tuesday was the first of two Cowboys practices at The Star open to fans this week. It came six days before the league deadline to trim rosters from 90 players to 53.

Michael Trigg And DJ Rogers Remain Out At Tight End

Trigg hurt the toe in the preseason opener at Seattle on Aug. 15. He caught 4 of 5 targets for 30 yards over 32 offensive snaps in that game, a 17-7 Dallas win. Rogers was hurt in the Aug. 20 practice in Oxnard, California, the last of training camp there. Both missed the Aug. 22 game at Arizona.

Dallas dressed two tight ends against the Cardinals, Luke Schoonmaker and Zack Kuntz. Starters Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford sat out under the plan Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer laid out in early August to hold his starters out of preseason games. The Cowboys signed tight end Mitch Van Vooren on Monday and placed defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam Jr. on injured reserve in the corresponding move.

Ajani Cornelius, Jonathan Bullard And Julius Wood Also Held Out

Cornelius finished his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Dallas placed him there on Nov. 17, 2025, after he appeared in one game and played seven special teams snaps. The Cowboys drafted Cornelius out of Oregon in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, 204th overall, and signed him to a four-year contract worth $4.41 million in May 2025. He played 68% of the offensive snaps in this year’s preseason opener at Seattle.

Bullard has missed practice time throughout camp. Schottenheimer listed him with a hamstring injury on Aug. 17 and again on Aug. 20, the final Oxnard practice. Watkins listed the injury Tuesday as groin and abdominal. Bullard is in his 11th NFL season and signed a one-year deal with Dallas on March 28. He played 15 games with six starts for the New Orleans Saints last season and recorded 26 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.

Wood suffered his concussion in Arizona on Saturday and was ruled out during the game. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina in 2024 and played nine games as a rookie with the Tennessee Titans. Dallas signed him on Oct. 7, 2025, then signed him to a futures contract for the 2026 season on Jan. 6.

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Finale And Roster Deadline

Dallas closes the preseason against New Orleans on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium. The game airs locally on CBS. The Cowboys are 2-0 this preseason after the win in Seattle and a 34-13 win in Arizona.

Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 30. Waiver claims are due at noon CT Monday, Aug. 31. The Cowboys open the regular season Sunday, Sept. 13, at the New York Giants at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.