The Dallas Cowboys’ dramatic 27-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts has turned into an absolute nightmare on the medical front, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer confirming on Monday that both starting tight end Jake Ferguson and breakout running back Tyler Goodson are facing “multiple weeks” on the sidelines due to serious knee injuries.
The catastrophic double update comes at the worst possible moment for America’s Team as they sit at 4-5 on the season and try to stay alive in the NFC East playoff race.
While the Cowboys’ offense accumulated over 500 total yards in Indianapolis, the physical toll of the victory has gutted two of Dak Prescott’s most dependable weapons ahead of a pivotal stretch of games.
Jake Ferguson Ligament Damage: Double Knee Sprain Outlined
The most severe blow to Prescott’s passing attack involves star tight end Jake Ferguson, who left Sunday’s contest in the third quarter after collapsing to the turf following a heavy collision.
Medical scans on Monday revealed that Ferguson suffered a dangerous dual-ligament injury:
- The Diagnosis: Ferguson sprained both his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.
- Red-Zone Void: Ferguson currently ranks second on the Cowboys with four touchdown receptions this season, serving as Prescott’s primary safety valve inside the red zone alongside CeeDee Lamb.
- Schoonmaker Return: In a rare piece of positive news, Schottenheimer confirmed that backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker is expected to return from a groin injury to take over starter duties in Week 10.
Tyler Goodson Played Through Injury: Backfield Depth Collapses
The injury news regarding backup running back Tyler Goodson is equally devastating for a ground attack that had just found its rhythm.
Goodson produced a career-high 77 rushing yards on 12 carries (6.4 YPC) against his former team, but Schottenheimer revealed the 26-year-old actually sustained his knee injury in the second quarter and courageously fought through the pain:
“A lot of these guys, they play on adrenaline… these guys, they want to tough it out. They care. They want to win. They want to do whatever it takes. And just doing some more exams and scans and things like that, a few things showed up that we’ll keep an eye out for.
“I have a lot of confidence in Izzy [Abanikanda]. We’ll be looking at a lot of different potential moves that we can make, but I’m not going to pretend that losing Goody doesn’t affect us. The guy’s been playing great football.”
With Malik Davis already out for the year on injured reserve, fullback Hunter Luepke is currently the only active running back behind Javonte Williams, forcing Dallas to evaluate practice squad options Israel Abanikanda and Jashaun Corbin or dive into the emergency market.
Roster Nightmare: IR Designated-to-Return Trap
To make matters worse, Dallas finds itself trapped in a roster management nightmare.
NFL rules allow teams to bring back a maximum of eight players from injured reserve per season. Having already used seven of their designated-to-return slots, the Cowboys have just one remaining slot for the entire rest of the 2026 campaign.
Placing both Ferguson and Goodson on injured reserve could mean sacrificing depth later in the year, leaving Schottenheimer and executive vice president Stephen Jones frantically weighing their options ahead of the trade deadline:
“We’re working through it,” Schottenheimer admitted regarding the roster crunch.
Season at a Crossroads for America’s Team
Losing Ferguson’s red-zone presence and Goodson’s explosive change-of-pace speed leaves the Cowboys severely shorthanded at a time when mistakes leave zero room for error.
As Dallas prepares for its next matchup, the pressure falls squarely on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Javonte Williams to carry the entire offense while the front office scrambles to fix a rapidly depleting roster.
