Dallas Cowboys: How many games will Xavier Woods actually miss?

The injuries for the Dallas Cowboys continue to pile up. Now, safety Xavier Woods is expected to miss time due to a high ankle sprain. But how much?

The Dallas Cowboys safety position is considered to be one of the team’s weakest positional unit. And now, they’ll be without their best player. Third-year safety Xavier Woods suffered a high ankle sprain during the final series of the Cowboys’ 31-21 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

The original report by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero estimated that Woods was expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. That would mean the Cowboys could be without their best safety for games against the 0-2 Miami Dolphins, the 1-1 New Orleans Saints, the 2-0 Green Bay Packers, the 0-2 New York Jets, and the 1-1 Philadelphia Eagles with a bye in Week Eight.

But David Moore of the Dallas Morning News says Woods is considered week-to-week and there is no indication he’ll miss substantial time. While Todd Archer of ESPN.com also confirmed it might not be as long as four-to-six weeks before his return.

Although this seems to be the perfect time for 2019 sixth-rounder Donovan Wilson to make his regular-season debut, it is believed safety Darian Thompson who will get the starting nod instead.

A third-round selection in 2016 by the New York Giants out of Boise State, the 6-foot-2, 211-pound Thompson started in 17 games for the G-Men over two seasons before being waived/injured (hamstring) last September. The Cowboys signed him off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad a month later and all of his snaps were on special teams (54) except for one in 2018.

The Cowboys re-signed Thompson to a one-year deal as a restricted free agent in March. This summer, the 25-year old emerged as a solid reserve player earning himself a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Most fans would likely prefer to see Wilson get the start after the rookie safety snagged three interceptions in four games over the preseason. But the former Aggie was ruled out completely in Week One due to his own ankle injury. And last week, Wilson was made inactive for the game in Washington after being limited in practice all week.

Replacing Xavier Woods will be no easy task for the Dallas Cowboys. But the Cowboys will likely throw a combination of Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson, and Kavon Frazier to help carry the load alongside starter Jeff Heath until Woods’ return. Next man up.