The Dallas Cowboys have placed defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey on the injured reserve list due to a back injury, meaning he will miss at least four games while recovering from the injury.
The Cowboys announced the injury designation on Tuesday, with the team now having only a few days to determine which player will take Winfrey’s spot on the active roster in Week 2.
Although Winfrey did not take the field for the Cowboys in Week 1, the former fourth-round draft selection put together an impressive offseason to make the active roster.
Winfrey joined the Cowboys during the offseason following one season with the Birmingham Stallions, becoming the only player from the 2025 UFL draft class to sign with an NFL team.
Dallas could look to replace Winfrey on the 53-man roster, although the addition of defensive tackle Kenny Clark has likely moved this position down on the team’s list of needs.
One potential option for the team to replace Winfrey during his absence is former first-round draft pick Mazi Smith, who was listed as a healthy inactive during the Cowboys’ Week 1 game.
Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer said following Week 1 that Smith has the potential to become an effective player in the NFL, but the day-to-day performance has not been sustainable at this time.
“He’s not even begun to reach his peak, but the consistency has not been there and therefore, if your philosophy is [to] compete every day, then that’s what you have to do. Make those decisions,” Schottenheimer added, per The Cowboys.
Although Dallas could look to add another defensive tackle in free agency, the team could also choose to pursue a free agent at another position of need.
The biggest defensive position of need for this Cowboys team is linebacker, as Dallas struggled heavily at that position against the Philadelphia Eagles and may look to free agency to fill that role in the future.