The Cowboys are dangerously close to being eliminated from the playoffs, but they haven’t stopped fighting yet. With three weeks left in the season, now’s the time to open 21-day practice windows for players hoping to make a return from injured lists this year.
To that point, Dallas opened the practice window for defensive end Payton Turner, who had been designated to return at the roster cut deadline in August, designated seventh-round rookie running back Phil Mafah to return from injured reserve, and designated cornerback Josh Butler to return from the reserve/physically unable to perform list, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. The three players have been on their respective injured lists since before the season began.
The Cowboys signed Turner to a one-year deal early into free agency to build depth behind a group that, at the time, consisted of Micah Parsons, Sam Williams, and Marshawn Kneeland. To date, only Williams remains after the Parsons trade and Kneeland’s tragic passing. Turner’s depth ended up being a non-factor, considering he spent the first 15 weeks of the season on IR, but if he returns, he’ll now add depth behind Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dante Fowler, Jadeveon Clowney, and Williams.
Butler went undrafted out of Michigan State all the way back in 2020, and after a short stint in the short-lived The Spring League and a strong season in the USFL, Butler earned himself a chance in Dallas in 2023. The next year, he made his NFL debut and, two games later, made his first of three consecutive starts. His quick rise came to an unfortunate end, though, when he tore his ACL, ending his debut NFL season.
Mafah, a two-year starter at Clemson, was one of two rookies the team drafted this year. He suffered a shoulder injury in the Cowboys’ final preseason game, and it was announced that he would eventually be put on IR. With the team opting to assign its two allotted pre-deadline return designations to Turner and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, they opted to keep Mafah on the initial 53-man roster, so they could immediately place him on IR the next week and give him a chance to return later into the year, as well.
There is no longer the usual pressure to get activated within the 21-day window as we only have three weeks remaining in the regular season. The 21-day window will take them past the Week 18 slate of games, so being reverted to season-ending IR would not the worst fate. Still, these three will be working hard to get onto the field in 2025 and help their team push for a still technically possible playoff berth, and at worst, they’ll give the Cowboys three more bodies at practice for the remainder of the season.