Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Unable to practice Wednesday
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Hooker (forearm) did not participate at practice Wednesday, Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' official site reports.
Hooker was sidelined during Sunday's win versus the Commanders with the forearm fracture he suffered in Week 1 against the Giants, and his availability for Week 3 is also in jeopardy. Unless he's able to return to practice in some capacity Thursday or Friday, he's probably trending towards missing Sunday's contest versus the Ravens.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Ruled out for Sunday
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Hooker (forearm) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Commanders, Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' official site reports.
Hooker was unable to practice throughout Week 2 as he dealt with the forearm fracture he suffered during last Sunday's loss to the Giants. The Cowboys' starting free safety will likely need to miss even more time as he recovers from the injury, leaving P.J. Locke to suit up as the starter in the interim.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Hooker (forearm) did not participate at practice Wednesday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Hooker fractured his forearm during Sunday's loss against the Giants, so it's not a big surprise he was unable to practice Wednesday. It seems likely at this point he'll be unavailable come Sunday versus the Commanders.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Dealing with forearm fracture
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Hooker was diagnosed with a forearm fracture after undergoing tests Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The safety left Sunday's loss to the Giants in the fourth quarter and did not return. He seems likely to miss at least two weeks, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. P.J. Locke and Markquese Bell would be the next two up at safety if Hooker has to sit for an extended period.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Cleared for training camp
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Hooker is all set to suit up for training camp, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Hooker was the starting free safety during Wednesday's first-team reps. The defensive back has recovered from the back issue that plagued him throughout minicamp and is all set to resume normal practice activities as training camp gets underway.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Lackluster season for Dallas
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Hooker recorded 52 tackles (28 solo) with one pass defended over 12 regular-season games for the Cowboys in 2025.
The veteran missed five games early in the season due to a toe injury and played through back trouble late, and his numbers suffered as a result. Hooker struggled in coverage and may not be able to hold up as a physical in-the-box safety, leaving some question of where he might fit even in a depth role. He has one year left on his current contract at $6.5 million, but the Cowboys would incur just a $2 million dead cap hit if they elect to move on from Hooker this offseason under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: All set for TNF
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Hooker (back) is active for Thursday night's contest against Detroit.
Hooker was limited at practice all week with a back injury, but he'll now officially be able to give it a go in Week 14. The safety has also been nursing toe and thigh injuries over the last few weeks, but he's expected to start opposite Donovan Wilson versus the Lions.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Now dealing with back issue
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Hooker was limited in practice Monday due to a back injury, Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLS.com reports.
Hooker has dealt with a toe issue almost all season, but that injury isn't noted on Monday's injury report. Instead, the veteran safety is deemed to have a back issue. Hooker's ability to log a limited session may mean that he's not dealing with a major injury, but he could enter Thursday with a designation if he's not able to practice in full over the next two days.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Ready for Thursday
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Hooker (toe/thigh) has no injury designation ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Cowboys, Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLS.com reports.
The 29-year-old upgraded from a limited practice session Tuesday to a full go Wednesday, suggesting he's moved past his injuries in time to play Thursday. Hooker has appeared in just six games this season, recording 28 total tackles and one pass defensed. Now fully healthy, he's expected to operate as Dallas' top free safety in Week 13.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Good to go for Week 12
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Hooker (toe/personal) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Eagles, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
Hooker ended up getting in a full practice Friday after logging a DNP on Thursday. After returning to the lineup from injured reserve last Monday night, Hooker should be ready to roll against Philly after playing 73 percent of the defensive snaps against Las Vegas.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Active for MNF
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Hooker (toe) is active for Monday night's game against the Raiders.
Hooker was injured in the Cowboys' tie with the Packers in Week 4 and was just activated from injured reserve earlier Monday. With Juanyeh Thomas (migraines) out at least the next four games, Hooker should slide right back into his starting role on the back end of the Dallas defense.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Chance to return Week 11
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Hooker (toe) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Raiders, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Hooker was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday. He opened the week with back-to-back limited practices before logging a full session Friday, which gives him a shot at making his return Monday from a five-game absence due to a toe injury. Hooker's return would be timely, given that fellow safety Alijah Clark (ribs/illness) is listed as questionable for Week 11.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Practice window opens
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The Cowboys announced Thursday that Hooker (toe) has been designated for return from injured reserve, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Hooker was placed on IR after suffering a toe injury in the Cowboys' Week 4 game against the Packers. The 29-year-old will now have 21 days to officially be activated, but he'll need to string together multiple practices in order to do so. Once he returns, the nine-year veteran is figured to start alongside Donovan Wilson and will add a much-needed boost to the Cowboys' defense.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Won't play Week 5
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Hooker (toe) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Jets, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Hooker sustained a toe injury during the Cowboys' 40-40 overtime tie with the Packers in Week 4. He was spotted in a walking boot Wednesday, and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus confirmed Thursday that the veteran safety will not play against the Jets. Juanyeh Thomas played a season-high 51 defensive snaps in Week 4, and he figures to be the leading candidate to start alongside Donovan Wilson at safety due to Hooker's injury.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Ruled out for rest of Sunday
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Hooker (toe) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday night's contest against the Packers, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Hooker suffered a toe injury in the second quarter, and he will now be sidelined for the remainder of the team's Week 4 contest. The safety registered four total tackles (two solo) before exiting the game. In his place, Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas stand to operate in more significant roles in the secondary.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Good to go for Week 2
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Hooker (foot) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Giants, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
After back-to-back limited practices to begin the week, Hooker logged a full session Friday. Hooker played all 63 defensive snaps in the Cowboys' Week 1 loss to the Eagles and recorded nine tackles (four solo).
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Logs nine tackles Week 1
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Hooker tallied nine tackles (four solo) during the Cowboys' 24-20 loss to the Eagles on Thursday.
Hooker tied with Kenneth Murray for the most tackles on the Cowboys, and the duo each played all 63 defensive snaps in Thursday's regular-season opener. Hooker played 1,008 defensive snaps last season and will operate as an every-down safety alongside Donovan Wilson in 2025. The Cowboys host the NFC East rival Giants on Sunday, Sept. 14.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Nursing ankle injury
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Hooker (ankle) was limited during Wednesday's walkthrough practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Hooker registered two solo tackles and played 48 defensive snaps during the Cowboys' Week 15 win over the Panthers. However, it appears he picked up an ankle injury in the process which limited him in Wednesday's walkthrough. Hooker will need to practice in full over the next two days in order to avoid an injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Snags pick in loss
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Hooker tallied seven tackles (four solo) and an interception in the Cowboys' loss to the Bengals on Monday.
Hooker was one of the few bright spots on Dallas' defense during Monday's loss as he recorded the team's only interception of Joe Burrow, which was his second of the campaign. Throughout 13 games played this season, the 2017 first-round pick has racked up 61 tackles (36 solo), which is just one short of his career high set back in 2022.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Cleared to play Week 3
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Hooker (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Ravens and is expected to play, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Hooker was upgraded to full participation for Friday's practice and is ready to go Sunday. The 28-year-old safety has played 93 percent of the defensive snaps through two games, recording six tackles (three solo).
