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The Dallas Cowboys’ season has been marked by frustration with flashes of promise buried under inconsistency on both sides of the ball. But beyond the stats and standings, a deeper issue has emerged: player health. What began as routine absences has now turned into a worrying trend that’s thinning the roster week by week. And now, one more has been added to the growing list. “I learned to trust GOD with all. My hardships… With this one I’ll do the same… Be back soon, TRUST,” Cowboys’ Safety Juanyeh Thomas wrote on X. The Dallas Cowboys placed safety Juanyeh Thomas on the reserve/non-football illness list Tuesday, sidelining him for at least the next four games. ADVERTISEMENT Juanyeh Thomas hoped to establish himself as a key member of the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary going into the 2025 campaign. He had a total of 26 tackles across seven games, demonstrating moments of dependability when he was well. He made several crucial open-field stops thanks to his quickness and anticipation, especially in early-season games when the Cowboys’ defense faltered. Thomas has already missed two games this season due to severe migraines. He attempted to ease the migraines with the use of goggles, which allowed him to get back to action in Week 9. Despite briefly returning to face the Arizona Cardinals, he was inactive both in Week 7 and Week 8, and now the team has determined a longer break is necessary, as consistency was hard to come by. ADVERTISEMENT His output declined following Week 5, and coaches started limiting his snaps because of persistent migraine problems. His play awareness and tackling form were obviously impacted by the physical toll, which resulted in failed coverage opportunities. With Thomas out, the Cowboys will turn to Malik Hooker, who returns from a toe injury, to grab hold of the starting safety role. Malik Hooker had been sidelined during the matchup against the Green Bay Packers and is now poised to step back into the lineup. ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports “Getting Hooker back is going to be a big deal,” Jones said. “He’s the quarterback back there, and he’ll make a big difference.” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. For now, the Cowboys hope to stabilize the defense with new acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline and secure a win against the Las Vegas Raiders while Thomas recovers. ADVERTISEMENT Cowboys’ Quinnen Williams is up against the Raiders’ Mazi Smith This time, the stakes are high as both the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders are locked into losing seasons going into Monday night. Dallas is trailing in the NFC East with a 3-5-1 record. At 2-7 and deep in the AFC West table, Las Vegas’ situation is worse. The Cowboys look forward to relying on 6′3″ and 303 lbs Quinnen Williams to fill the defensive gaps in the postseason and improve the playoff picture. “I’m hungry to win. That’s the main thing. I’m an ultimate competitor, man. Everything I do is about winning. Everything I do, everything I work [for].” ADVERTISEMENT “When I wake up, man, I just want to win. So that kind of forms my ego that I can do anything the coaches ask me to do if it’s going to get us a win,” Quinnen Williams said after the trade. Williams was acquired for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. In just eight games thus far in the 2025 season, Quinnen Williams has recorded 17 solo tackles, 15 assists, and one sack. Additionally, he has forced three fumbles. For the Cowboys, three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams’ arrival jumpstarts their defense. His performance in this game will serve as an early indicator of what the trade could mean long-term. The Cowboys are still a threat offensively. Their playmakers are reliable producers. However, they suffer on defense, giving up too many yards and third-down conversions, which is a clear weakness. The Raiders, meanwhile, rely on seasoned quarterback Geno Smith, who ranks at the bottom of QBR rankings in 2025 with 1,844 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Smith suffered a quad contusion during the 10-7 loss to the Broncos and is marked questionable for week 11. The bigger headline, though, is Dallas’s defense gaining meaningful momentum despite a rough start.
