The Cowboys have been talking about roster additions. Jalen Thompson’s injury makes that conversation harder to leave in the abstract.
Dallas confirmed Thompson will miss several weeks, with the timeline now described as four to six weeks. He exited midway through the second quarter of the Week 3 game, needed help getting off the field and did not return. For a safety group already dealing with injuries, that turns a depth concern into an immediate roster decision.
Jerry Jones said there are “conversations going on” about potential additions to the Cowboys roster, and he stressed the need for communication and awareness as those discussions continue. That is where the issue now sits: Dallas has acknowledged the need to look, but Thompson’s absence asks whether the Cowboys will actually add someone before the position becomes a bigger problem.
The injury comes at a time when the safety room has already been stretched. Malik Hooker was out in Week 1, and Stephen Jones has said there is optimism Hooker could return this week against the Houston Texans. Even if that happens, the Cowboys would still be short on proven options with Thompson sidelined.
P.J. Locke has also landed on injured reserve after getting hurt in the next game following Hooker’s injury, further thinning the group. The Cowboys entered the 2026 season with a revamped secondary headlined by Caleb Downs, but the early-season picture has changed quickly as injuries have piled up around the back end of the defense.
That is why Thompson’s timeline matters. A short absence might have allowed Dallas to wait and see. Four to six weeks is different. It leaves the Cowboys weighing whether to lean on what remains in the room or make a move now, while the safety spot is still manageable rather than waiting until it becomes the story.
There is also the larger injury backdrop around the roster. The Cowboys lost Malik Davis for the season to a serious non-contact hip injury during Friday’s practice before the opener, another reminder that the team has already had to absorb multiple setbacks before the season has settled in.
For now, the Cowboys have said the conversations are happening. Thompson’s injury is the part that turns those conversations into a test.