Dallas placed Perrion Winfrey on injured reserve with a back issue. He hasn’t practiced since Aug. 31 and was helped off the field, a setback that opens a roster spot and shifts interior responsibilities. IR rules impose a four-week minimum offline, plus a 21-day practice window to rejoin the active roster, with eight total IR returns allowed and a cap of two activations per player in the season.
Winfrey’s absence could accelerate Mazi Smith’s return to the lineup, as Smith was inactive for the opener. Winfrey’s backstory—Cleveland’s 2022 fourth-rounder, a stint with the Birmingham Stallions before the Cowboys signed him—embodies the season-long roster shuffle. The development underscores depth-chart churn and the human side of NFL cutdowns, highlighted by a poignant team-wide moment as Schottenheimer and McClay celebrated the roster choice.
The development tightens interior rotation for Dallas and tests depth as Winfrey’s return timeline remains fluid. Smith’s status adds another variable to the defensive front, making Week 2 and beyond a test of Dallas’s adaptability and roster resilience.
