DeMarcus Lawrence injury update: Cowboys reportedly placing defender on IR

As defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence deals with a foot injury, the Dallas Cowboys have reportedly made the decision to place him on the injured reserve, according to Jordan Schultz.

That means the star defender will miss at least the next four games, as he deals with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that he suffered last Thursday against the New York Giants, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to return afterwards, or if he’d need more time to heal.

“The #Cowboys are putting DE DeMarcus Lawrence on IR today due to his foot injury. He will be out at least four games,” Schultz reported. “A very tough blow for Dallas, who will also likely be without Micah Parsons for at least a game.”

Moreover, Lawrence limped off the field during the third quarter against the Giants, making his way to the locker room to get an X-ray, which came back negative. After the game, Lawrence didn’t seem overly concerned about the injury.

Further examination showed the injury to be worse than originally thought of, and that means Dallas will be without one of its defensive leaders for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately for Dallas, Lawrence wasn’t the only defensive stalwart to go down with an injury against New York. Star linebacker Micah Parsons was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain Friday and his status going forward is to be determined.

Head coach Mike McCarthy admitted Friday that both Lawrence and Parsons’ injuries “are worse than we anticipated.”

“Both Micah and DeMarcus Lawrence (are getting second opinions… D-Law’s is worse than Micah’s,” McCarthy said. “I don’t have a specific timeline, but we’ll get into that a little deeper on Monday. … They are worse than we anticipated.”

Lawrence, the 10-year veteran, was off to a fast start in 2024. Through four games, he compiled a team-leading 3.0 sacks, 14 tackles (seven solo), four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and one forced fumble. Parsons, the two-time All-Pro, remains the face of the Cowboys’ defense, having tallied 41.5 sacks in 54 games throughout his career.

On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this article.