The Dallas Cowboys entered their 67th training camp without major injury concerns on the roster, but that changed when safety P.J. Locke hyperextended his knee, giving the team its first injury scare ahead of the 2026 season.

Now the Cowboys had to face another issue with the availability of veteran safety Jalen Thompson, who was acquired through free agency to boost the Cowboys' secondary under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

“Brian Schottenheimer said P.J. Locke (knee) is closer to returning, but not quite ready. Jalen Thompson (hip) will not practice,” per X post of ESPN’s Todd Archer on August 3.

Schottenheimer mentioned Julius Wood and Alijah Clark have done a good job with extra work.

Thompson missed training camp due to a hip flexor injury, which was initially reported as a minor pectoral strain during the earlier offseason workouts.

The veteran safety worked on the sidelines with rehab director Britt Brown during the mandatory minicamp, while P.J. Locke filled in with reps.

While the Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team is “being smart” with Thompson, he also revealed that the Cowboys plan to “sit most of the starters” throughout the three preseason outings in August, according to an article on  DallasCowboys.com on August 1.

The Cowboys HC revealed during the presser on July 30 at training camp that Locke's "tests looked great," but was cautious in letting the safety participate to allow more rest last week.

As Thompson is expected to lead the safety unit as part of the leadership council in the 2026 season, the Cowboys are taking a cautious approach with two key defensive backs, viewing their injuries as not a long-term concern.

Cowboys' Jalen Thompson expected to make immediate impact in secondary

Thompson is expected to provide an immediate boost to the Cowboys' secondary, which ranked as the worst pass defense in the league last year, surrendering a league-high 4,276 passing yards (average 251.5 yards) and allowing 35 touchdown passes.

"Thompson fills a major need in the secondary for the Cowboys," ESPN's Todd Archer wrote in his article on March 29. "The Cowboys need a communicator in the secondary, and Thompson can make sure everybody is on the same page. He is young, turning 28 in July, but has the experience to help a secondary grow."

Archer pointed to Thompson's familiarity with cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith as one of the advantages in helping him quickly acclimate to DC Parker's revamped defensive scheme.

Thompson has served as a starter safety for the last five of seven years with the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted 578 tackles (397 solo) and 37 passes defended, across 99 games (87 starts).

As one of the Cowboys' biggest free-agent additions in years ($33M), Thompson is set to bring in both stability and leadership to the revamped secondary, which also has a versatile rookie, Caleb Downs.

Could the Cowboys' revamped secondary be the biggest key to a 2026 turnaround? Let us know.

Read more at Dallas Cowboys Community.

Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi