The Dallas Cowboys placed running back Tyler Goodson on injured reserve Saturday as part of a series of roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The move means Goodson will miss at least the next four games while dealing with knee and ankle injuries.
Goodson suffered the setback during the Cowboys’ 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts last week. He played through the knee issue in the second half after exiting earlier in the contest. Medical evaluations later confirmed sprains to the ACL and MCL in his knee, along with the ankle concern noted by the team.
In that Week 9 outing against his former team, Goodson delivered a career-high 77 rushing yards on 12 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. He carried five more times for 33 yards after returning from the initial injury.
Through seven games this season with Dallas, Goodson has rushed 40 times for 163 yards with no touchdowns, for a 4.1-yard average. He has also caught four passes for 23 yards. Those numbers marked a clear step up in his role as the primary backup to starter Javonte Williams.
The Cowboys signed Goodson off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in mid-September after Malik Davis suffered a season-ending hip injury. The undrafted free agent out of Iowa previously spent three seasons with the Colts from 2023 to 2025, appearing in 33 games.
Earlier in the week, coach Brian Schottenheimer said Goodson would miss multiple weeks. Executive vice president Stephen Jones described it as a real injury that would likely sideline him for some time. The injured reserve designation formalizes that timeline.
Under NFL rules, players placed on injured reserve must miss a minimum of four games before becoming eligible to return. That puts Goodson’s earliest possible return at Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 20.
To fill the immediate gap, the Cowboys elevated running back Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad for Sunday’s contest. Abanikanda is expected to serve as the second running back alongside Williams.
Abanikanda spent training camp with Dallas and has been on the practice squad for most of the season. He has yet to record a regular-season carry for the Cowboys this year.
The team also elevated cornerback Derion Kendrick from the practice squad. Cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and DaRon Bland are both listed as questionable with ankle injuries for the 49ers game.
In other moves, Dallas waived defensive end Tyrus Wheat. The Cowboys signed tight end James Mitchell to the active roster from the practice squad and activated defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard from injured reserve.
The changes leave the Cowboys thin at running back heading into a home game against a 49ers team that has been strong against the run. Fullback Hunter Luepke remains an option for some carries as well.
With Davis already out for the year and Goodson now sidelined for at least a month, Dallas will rely on Williams to carry a heavier load while Abanikanda steps into a larger role. The team has cycled through several options at the position this season.
Goodson had shown steady progress in recent weeks before the injury, including double-digit carries in two of his last three outings. His absence creates another challenge for an offense already missing tight end Jake Ferguson for multiple weeks with his own knee injury.
The Cowboys host the 49ers on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. Further updates on Goodson’s recovery timeline are expected once he begins the rehabilitation process on injured reserve.
