Final Cowboys injury report ahead of Week 1 game vs. Giants

Final Cowboys injury report ahead of Week 1 game vs. Giants appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dallas Cowboys enter their 2026 season opener against the New York Giants banged up in one key spot, but otherwise in solid shape as they prepare for Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium. Running back Malik Davis is the only Cowboys player carrying an official game status on the final Week 1 injury report, and he’s out with a significant hip injury suffered Friday. Beyond that, head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s roster is largely clean heading into the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

#DallasCowboys RB Malik Davis was carted off during today’s practice due to a hip injury, per @clarencehilljrpic.twitter.com/VcXTVhOvJ1

— The Cowboys Network (@TheCowboysNet) September 11, 2026

Advertisement

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

Davis was carted off the practice field Friday after a hip injury that executive vice president Stephen Jones described as “pretty serious,” and the veteran back is reportedly headed for surgery to determine the severity of the damage. He was limited before being ruled out entirely, making him the lone Cowboys name with a designation on the final report submitted ahead of Sunday’s game.

Bullard, Cornelius clear practice hurdles

Defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard, who has battled a groin injury dating back to the offseason, was a full participant in all three practices this week and carries no game status into Sunday. Offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius followed a similar arc with a knee issue, going from limited participation Wednesday and Thursday to a full session Friday, clearing him to play without restriction.

Tight end Luke Schoonmaker was the one wrinkle in an otherwise straightforward week. He did not participate in Thursday’s practice, but that absence was for a non-injury, personal reason rather than a physical setback. He returned to full participation Friday and has no game status.

Tyler Smith absence looms larger

The Cowboys’ bigger health concern isn’t even on the official Week 1 report in the traditional sense, it’s the four-week absence of starting left guard Tyler Smith, arguably Dallas’s best offensive lineman, who will miss the Giants game and beyond. Losing Smith to open the season is a real blow to an offensive line that will already be adjusting to live bullets in Week 1, and it puts extra pressure on the interior of the line as Dallas tries to protect its passing game against a Giants defense led by pass-rusher Brian Burns.

Dallas also made a pair of roster moves on cutdown day, placing linebacker Marist Liufau (forearm) and cornerback Devin Moore (hip/groin) on injured reserve with the “designated to return” tag, meaning both are eligible to come back after the mandatory four-game absence rather than being lost for the season.

A opener that still favors health

Even with the Davis and Smith setbacks, Dallas heads into Sunday night in far better shape than a team dealing with multiple starters on the injury fringe. The Cowboys’ offensive skill-position group and defensive front remain largely intact, and losing a depth piece like Davis is a more manageable hit than losing a difference-maker at receiver or the secondary, where New York is bracing for Nabers’ status to be a game-time call.

As with every Week 1 matchup, health is only part of the equation. Both teams are shaking off preseason rust, and how Dallas’s retooled offensive line performs without Smith, and whether Davis’s replacement in the backfield rotation can pick up the slack, could matter just as much as who’s listed on the injury report.

Related: Cowboys’ Malik Davis’ heading to IR after hip surgery

Related: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still won’t shut down splashy trade possibility ahead of Week 1