John Stephens Jr. Injury News & Updates

The previously terminated contract between the Cowboys and Stephens (undisclosed) was reinstated Thursday, and he has been placed on injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Stephens was initially waived by the Cowboys on Monday, but that transaction has been reversed and he'll start the regular season on injured reserve. The 25-year-old tight end will be required to miss at least the first four games of the season, which makes Week 5 against the Jets on Sunday, Oct. 5 the earliest he can play. Stephens has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game since signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in May of 2023.

The Cowboys waived Stephens on Monday, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Stephens appeared in just one preseason game this summer, catching three passes for 26 yards on 14 offensive snaps. Undrafted out of Louisiana last year, Stephens ended up tearing his ACL in practice last October. He'll look for an opportunity elsewhere.

Stephens (knee) is participating in Dallas' training camp, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Stephens is practicing again after having recovered from a torn ACL he suffered in practice last October. The 2023 undrafted free agent has yet to appear in a regular-season game but will have a chance to make his debut should he earn a spot on the team's final roster.

The Cowboys placed Stephens (knee) on injured reserve Saturday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Stephens is done for the 2024 season after suffering a left ACL tear in practice Wednesday. He missed the entire 2023 campaign due to an ACL tear in the same knee, a reality that leaves the 2023 UDFA out of Louisiana with a difficult road to recovery. He remains under contract with Dallas through the 2025 season.

Stephens (knee) sustained a torn left ACL in Wednesday's practice and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Stephens missed the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL in the same knee sustained during the preseason, and he now faces another long road to recovery. The depth tight end hasn't yet suited up for a regular-season game with the Cowboys, but he remains under contract with the team through 2025.

Stephens (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday night's game against Pittsburgh.

Stephens missed the first three games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, but he will be a healthy scratch for a second straight contests. His next chance at making his NFL regular-season debut will be Week 6 against the Lions on Oct. 13. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the Cowboys' three tight ends for Sunday's game.

Stephens (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Stephens missed the first three games of the regular season due to a hamstring issue, but he appears to be healthy scratch for Thursday's contest. His next opportunity to suit up will be Week 5 against the Steelers on Oct. 6. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the Cowboys' three tight ends for Thursday's game.

Stephens (hamstring) was left off Monday's injury report, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Stephens missed the Cowboys' first three contests due to a hamstring issue, but it now appears he's moved past the injury. The 25-year-old projects to serve as Dallas' fourth-string tight end, so he will likely contribute most of his value on special teams as the season progresses.

Stephens (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's game against Baltimore.

Stephens was limited in all three practices this week but he will not play Sunday, and his next chance at playing will be Thursday against the Giants. The Cowboys will roll with three tight ends Sunday in Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford.

Stephens (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Stephens was limited throughout the practice week. With Jake Ferguson due back this week, Stephens may be inactive either way. Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford are set for backup duties.

Stephens (hamstring) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Stephens has been held out of the Cowboys' first two games of the season due to a hamstring injury. He hasn't been able to practice over the last two weeks, so his limited participation Wednesday is an upgrade and bodes well for his chances of making his NFL Sunday against the Ravens. Stephens is the Cowboys' No. 4 tight end behind Jake Ferguson (knee), Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford.

Stephens (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, Joe Hoyt of AllDLLS.com reports.

Stephens was unable to practice last week leading up to missing the team's Week 1 win over the Browns. His absence from practice Wednesday will have him on a trajectory to miss Sunday's game against the Saints as well, especially if he is unable to practice in any form Thursday.

Stephens (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

The 24-year-old tight end was unable to practice all week due to a hamstring injury, so it's no surprise that he won't suit up for the Cowboys' regular-season opener Sunday. Expect Brevyn Spann-Ford to see additional playing time in Stephens' stead.

Stephens (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Stephens will have two more opportunities to return to practice, but he's in danger of missing Sunday's regular-season opener against the Browns. The 24-year-old tight end has yet to see regular-season action for the Cowboys, as he missed his entire 2023 rookie season due to a torn ACL.

Stephens has had a strong training camp so far and is pushing for the No. 2 spot on the Cowboys' tight end depth chart, Jon Machota and Saad Yousef of The Athletic report.

Jake Ferguson is locked into the starting job, but after that the Dallas depth chart is unsettled. Luke Schoonmaker was a second-round pick in 2023 but has had trouble staying healthy to begin his career and is already battling a groin issue in camp. Peyton Hendershot (shoulder) has shown flashes as a pass-catching option but is also not 100 percent healthy. That's opened up reps for Stephens, a converted wide receiver who was an undrafted free agent in 2023 but made a good early impression last year before suffering a torn ACL in the preseason that cost him the entire campaign. Fully recovered from the knee injury, Stephens has seen reps with the first-team offense and looks capable of providing solid depth behind Ferguson.

Stephens (knee) will be working on the side as the Cowboys open OTAs on Wednesday, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered last August, Nick Harris of the team's official site reports.

Stephens signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana but lost his chance to make the team due to his season-ending injury suffered in a preseason contest. Although still not 100 percent, it appears the 24-year-old is getting closer and will have another chance to make the team's 53-man roster.

Dallas placed Stephens (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Nick Harris of the team's official site reports.

Stephens will miss the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL sustained during the preseason. The undrafted rookie out of Louisiana had put together a solid offseason, but his sights will now need to be set on making a full recovery for the 2024 season to again compete for a roster spot.

Stephens is out for the season with a torn ACL, Clarence Hill Jr of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Stephens injured his knee in the third quarter of Saturday's loss to Seattle and will now miss the entirety of the season. Signed as an undrafted free agent in May, the 23-year-old will now have to wait until next year to try to make his NFL debut.

Stephens exited Saturday's preseason matchup with the Seahawks early with a knee injury, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Stephens limped off the field in the third quarter with what has now been outlined as a knee injury. The tight end had one catch for six yards before his night came to an end. More information on his status will likely be provided after the contest.

Stephens caught five of seven targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars.

A big-bodied wide receiver in college, Stephens was converted to tight end by the Cowboys after signing as a UDFA and has impressed the coaching staff so far in camp. He carried that momentum forward into his first NFL preseason action, leading the team in receiving and capping a drive toward the end of the fourth quarter with a 15-yard TD pass from Will Grier. Stephens has a tough path to the Week 1 roster with Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker seemingly locked into spots, but if he keeps showing out in exhibition play, the team may not want to risk losing him by trying to get him onto the practice squad.

Stephens has been converted to tight end by the Cowboys and has looked good during the early part of training camp, Jon Machota and Saad Yousef of The Athletic report.

Listed at 6-5 and 221 pounds coming out of Louisiana, Stephens played wide receiver in college and his length and red-zone ability earned him a look as a UDFA from the Cowboys. Dallas has a very young tight end room headlined by 2022 fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson and 2023 second-round selection Luke Schoonmaker (foot), so if Stephens continues to handle the transition well and proves he can hold up as a blocker while providing a mismatch as a receiving option, he could find his way onto the Week 1 roster. More likely, a strong showing in the preseason will get him stashed on the practice squad so he can hone his skills further.