The Cowboys standout tore three ligaments in his right knee, meaning he’ll miss the remainder of this season and could miss all of 2025 as well.
Before you shout out the punch line, yes, it’s a large sample size. But this stung more than what New Orleans did to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week Two or what Detroit did in Week Six. It was harder to accept than the loss in Atlanta when the team also lost quarterback Dak Prescott.
What made the loss to Cincinnati hurt more? It was the team’s last stand and the last time they will see DeMarvion Overshown, one of their brightest young players, on the field for a long time.
“This one hurt me more than any loss this year, worse than a playoff loss, to be honest,’’ said pass rusher Micah Parsons, who later cried when talking about his teammate’s injury. “Where we were going, how we were playing. We were playing good football.
“It seems like we’re paying some dues that aren’t fair. I don’t know if it’s bad luck, karma, in terms of the work ethic. Everyone is working so hard.’’
No one’s luck has been worse than Overshown. The state of the team?
More on that in a bit.
Overhsown had to be helped to the locker room with a knee injury in the opening minutes of the final period of Monday night’s game and didn’t return. Players and coaches feared the worst.
Those fears were confirmed Tuesday when an MRI revealed that the linebacker had torn three ligaments — the ACL, MCL and PCL — in his right knee, people told The Dallas Morning News. A couple of different surgical options are being weighed by the player, a person with knowledge of the injury said, and the surgery is tentatively scheduled for later this week.
Overshown will obviously miss the remainder of this season and could miss all of 2025 as well.
“I think that’s fair,’’ head coach Mike McCarthy said. “Obviously, we’re in December. The rehab is a long process.
“I think that’s very realistic.’’
The severity of the injury will raise memories of the long road back from a similar injury for former Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith. The difference here, and what works in Overshown’s favor, is that unlike Smith, there’s no nerve damage involved with this injury.
“He’s just such a bright light,’’ McCarthy said of Overshown. “He’s got a great, infectious personality. Tough, tough young man. We’re definitely going to miss him.
“He’s got a long road of rehab in front of him. He will obviously be loved and supported every step of the way.’’
Overshown’s performance has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season. He finished his first season in the NFL with 90 tackles, five sacks and an interception return for a touchdown.
The third-round pick out of the University of Texas missed his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the preseason.
“D-Mo really had an outstanding year,’’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. “Basically was a rookie coming in. He’s had a big impact on what we’ve done defensively. Had some other packages that we had to nix because we didn’t want to take him out of the game.
“It’s a big loss. He’s a great kid. Always got a smile on his face. Very upbeat. Everyone feels sorry for him, understanding what he went through a year ago to get back to this point and what kind of person he is.’’
When pressed on Overshown’s impact and whether or not he reminds Zimmer of anyone else he’s coached, the defensive coordinator paid Overshown a huge compliment.
“Different positions, but kinda a guy like Darren Woodson,’’ Zimmer said of the safety in the Cowboys Ring of Honor. “Just the impact, the different things he can do, the speed he has and the physicality.
“I would say he’d be as close as anyone I could think of off the top of my head.’’
Rookie Marist Liufau will pick up the slack and get even more playing time over these final four games with the loss of Overshown. Zimmer also indicated that Parsons could find himself at linebacker in certain situations.
The team, meanwhile, finds itself in a tenuous position.
The Cowboys were starting to feel good about themselves with a modest two-game winning streak coming out of Thanksgiving. But the loss drops Dallas to three games below .500 with four games remaining.
Their flickering playoff hopes could be extinguished completely before the weekend is done.
“As a football team, that was about as heavy of a locker room that we’ve had in my time here,’’ McCarthy said. “The loss, the injury too. It was definitely heavy.
“We felt like things were starting to go our way.’’
Very little has gone the Cowboys’ way this season.