A significant knee injury abruptly ended Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown’s night in Week 14. Now, based on the latest update, the standout second-year player appears in line for a lengthy road to recovery that could impact his 2025 season.
Overshown, 24, will require season-ending surgery after suffering a torn right ACL, MCL and PCL during the Cowboys’ 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on “Monday Night Football,” according to multiple reports.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy didn’t get into specifics about Overshown’s knee injury during a news conference Tuesday, but he made it clear that the injury is significant enough that “it’s fair to say” Overshown could miss the entire 2025 season. “That’s very realistic,” McCarthy added.
Overshown’s exit came in the fourth quarter of a tight game after Bengals center Ted Karras inadvertently rolled onto his right leg during a run play. The brutal sequence left Overshown in noticeable pain as he tried to gather himself on the field before being helped off by trainers; he was quickly ruled out moments later with six tackles and one pass defended for the night.
Tuesday’s unfortunate update marks another major hurdle in the emerging star’s young career after Overshown, a former third-round pick out of Texas, missed his rookie year in 2023 with a torn ACL in his left knee.
A glaring bright spot for the struggling Cowboys (5-8), Overshown recorded 90 tackles (56 solo), five sacks, one forced fumble and recovery and four passes defended in 13 games (12 starts). He also recorded one interception and Dallas’ only defensive score of 2024 with a highlight-reel tip to himself for a 23-yard pick-six in a 27-20 Week 13 win over the New York Giants.
WHAT A PLAY BY OVERSHOWN.
📺: #NYGvsDAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/o9hC8Zduzw— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2024
Cowboys, Overshown forced to look past LB’s strong season to future
It was apparent from the moment several Cowboys players started waving to the sideline last night that Overshown had suffered a significant injury.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan that the second-year linebacker would need season-ending surgery. The next question is what impact could the injury have on next season. Overshown and the Cowboys likely won’t know that until after the doctors make the needed repairs.
Overshown was quickly becoming a star defender. After missing all of his rookie season with a torn left ACL, he made some highlight plays in the season opener.
It seemed like the more defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer used Overshown, the more impact he was making. All-Pro DE Micah Parsons talked about Overshown having the ability to be an All-Pro player. Unfortunately, that will have to all be put on hold for a while, maybe even until the 2026 season.
The Cowboys have had bad luck over the last decade with injuries to starting linebackers, most notably Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch. Overshown is only 24, so there’s a long way to go in his career. But it’s easy to feel for one of the team’s locker room favorites as he is now forced to navigate through a second major knee injury to begin his NFL career. — Jon Machota, Cowboys staff writer
