Dallas Cowboys vs Buffalo Bills Thursday injury report

The 10-3 Dallas Cowboys travel to face the 7-6 Buffalo Bills on Sunday for an afternoon kickoff. Unfortunately for Dallas, several players have been hit either by the injury bug or the illness bug this week, limiting their participation in practice.

Joining the Cowboys’ injury report on Thursday due to illness are wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert and cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Last week, edge rusher Micah Parsons was sick with the flu but he managed to play through it on gameday against the Eagles. He returned to full participation at practice on Thursday.

Three other Cowboys players did not practice on Thursday due to various injuries. Veteran left tackle Tyron Smith didn’t practice due to rest, but Dallas has limited his participation during the week throughout the season. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and safety Malik Hooker, both injured in the win against the Eagles, did not practice.

The injury report on Friday will reveal more regarding who is in and who’s out for Sunday’s game against the Bills. Final reports with inactives will come out with an hour and a half to go before kickoff for the 4:25 p.m. ET matchup.

Cowboys, Bills Thursday Injury Report

Dallas Cowboys

DT Jonathan Hankins (knee/ankle) – DNP
S Malik Hooker (ankle) – DNP
WR Brandin Cooks (illness) – DNP
WR Jalen Tolbert (illness) – DNP
CB Stephon Gilmore (illness) – DNP
T Tyron Smith (rest) – DNP
G Zack Martin (rest) – Limited
RB Rico Dowdle (ankle) – Limited
LB Micah Parsons (illness) – Full
DE Viliami Fehoko (knee) – Full
T Matt Waletzko (shoulder) – Full

Buffalo Bills

DE AJ Epenesa (rib) – DNP
S Micah Hyde (neck) – DNP
CB Taron Johnson (ankle) – Limited
TE Dalton Kincaid (thumb/shoulder) – Limited
QB Josh Allen (shoulder) – Full
CB Kaiir Elam (ankle) – Full
DE Leonard Floyd (wrist) – Full
TE Dawson Knox (wrist) – Full
DE Von Miller (rest) – Full
WR Justin Shorter (hamstring) – Full

Hankins ‘hard-pressed’ to play this week

As the Cowboys begin to pursue some separation from the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, they’ll likely have to do so without starting defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. Head coach Mike McCarthy revealed on Wednesday that Hankins, who suffered an ankle sprain against the Eagles, is “hard-pressed” to play this weekend against the 7-6 Bills in Buffalo.

“Johnathan will be hard-pressed to go this week,” McCarthy shared, via DallasCowboys.com.

Hankins joined Dallas last October in a trade with Las Vegas that sent a Cowboys’ 2023 sixth-round pick to the Raiders, and a 2024 seventh-round pick back to Dallas. The veteran out of Ohio State came in to bolster the Cowboys’ already stout defensive line group.

He played in several games, then tore a pectoral muscle, but made his return in time for the playoffs. He finished the year with five postseason tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss, as well as 10 tackles in five regular season games. After the end of the playoff run, Dallas signed the tackle to a new one-year deal for $1.5 million.

So far this season, Hankins has 26 tackles with three sacks. The last time he had three sacks in a single season was in 2016 for the Giants.

To make up for what the Cowboys defense will lose against the Bills run game, McCarthy plans to insert first-round draft pick Mazi Smith. The rookie has 10 tackles through 13 games, including a tackle for loss.

Another option would be to elevate defensive tackle Carl Davis from the practice squad for the Week 15 matchup. Davis signed with the practice squad in late November, and now, he has the opportunity to help Dallas get through a tough stretch to end the season.