Cowboys OLB Marist Liufau to Miss Weeks After Fracturing Forearm vs. Saints

The Dallas Cowboys lost more than a preseason finale on Friday night. Outside linebacker Marist Liufau fractured his left forearm in the first quarter of a 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium and will miss “weeks,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game.

According to ESPN, Liufau went down making a tackle, left with what was first described as a wrist issue, and was later spotted in a sling and soft cast. Surgery is scheduled as early as Monday. The Cowboys must set their 53-man roster by Sunday, so the injury lands on the last weekend they wanted extra roster math.

Schottenheimer confirmed the break and the short-term outlook. “Losing Marist as a football player is tough,” he said, per the team’s official site. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones, after speaking with doctors, told ESPN the fracture “is one that’s in the right spot.” Jon Machota of The Athletic posted on X that the injury is not considered season-ending

Why this changes Sunday’s 53-man puzzle

Liufau was already on the bubble. Dallas moved the 2024 third-round pick from Notre Dame off the ball to the edge this offseason in defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s scheme, and the coaches liked the violence he brought. His real roster value still sat on special teams. Per DallasCowboys.com, he jumped from 35 percent of special-teams snaps as a rookie to 75 percent (361 snaps) last season and had played in all 34 games over two years.

Schottenheimer called him a four-core contributor — kickoff, kick return, punt, and punt return. Those jobs do not show up in defensive snap counts. They decide who survives cutdown day.

NFL rules give each club two injured-reserve spots with a designated-to-return tag when the initial 53 is filed. Those players must miss at least the first four regular-season games and do not count against the 53 at cutdown. ESPN and the team site both framed that option as the likeliest path if Dallas wants to keep Liufau without burning an active roster spot. Any later IR move would require him to make the 53 first, then come off it. That is analysis of the rule, not a confirmed roster decision. The Cowboys have not announced IR.

Todd Archer of ESPN posted Schottenheimer’s timeline on X: surgery as early as Monday, return in “weeks,” no firmer date

The game Dallas almost stole, then lost

The Saints led 24-9 entering the fourth. Sam Howell, in for the second half, completed 12 of 18 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, then ran in the two-point conversion that tied the game at 24, according to the Cowboys’ game recap and the Associated Press report published by CBS Sports.

Howell hit Jordan Hudson for 52 yards late in the third, then found him again on a 26-yard fade for Dallas’ first touchdown. A 12-play, 67-yard drive ended with a 21-yard score to tight end Mitch Van Vooren. Hudson finished with four catches for 97 yards and that touchdown, per the Saints’ box score.

New Orleans answered. Zach Wilson drove the Saints into range, and Daniel Carlson knocked through a 53-yard field goal with 1:55 left. Howell’s last chance died on a fourth-down incompletion. Dallas finished the preseason 2-1. The Saints went 1-2 and ran for 169 yards. Three New Orleans touchdowns came on the ground.

Howell’s night tightens the backup quarterback argument with Milton. That fight is separate from Liufau’s, but both land on the same Sunday clock. Roster cuts are due Sunday evening, with reporting putting the league deadline at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT, per Sporting News.

What it means for Parker’s front and Week 1

Liufau was never going to start over the top of the edge room. The loss is depth and the four special-teams units Schottenheimer leaned on him to play. Parker’s defense wants speed and clean communication. A converted off-ball linebacker learning a new spot does not get those snaps back in September if he is in a cast.

Dallas opens the regular season against the New York Giants. If the club uses a designated-to-return IR tag, Liufau would be unavailable for the first four games at minimum. If it keeps him on the 53 and hopes the recovery beats “weeks,” it spends a precious active spot on a player who cannot cover kicks or rush the passer in Week 1. Those are the two live options. Neither has been confirmed.

Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com posted the official update on X, pointing to Schottenheimer’s “some weeks” language and Monday surgery window

The next official word should come with Sunday’s roster and, if needed, an IR designation. Until then, the only confirmed facts are the broken left forearm, the planned surgery, and a multi-week absence.