Almost everything went right for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football as they dismantled the Philadelphia Eagles in front of the entire country. Unfortunately, one concerning development from that contest was the injury defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins suffered, which required him to be carted off to the locker room.
That extra help he needed getting off of the field immediately prompted significant worries on the veteran's health. On Monday, Dallas received some big news regarding the DT's status.
Cowboys NT Johnathan Hankins suffered a high-ankle sprain Sunday evening vs. Eagles, but there is belief it’s on the mild side, a person familiar with situation said. Hankins returned to the sideline in uniform after having been carted off. Good news for run defense.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 11, 2023
Cowboys News: Jonathan Hankins Injury Update is a Relief
The Cowboys have revealed Hankins went down with a high-ankle sprain versus the Eagles. However, it's not all doom and gloom, as there's optimism the 31-year-old won't be forced to miss extended time.
All in all, this is just about the best the team could ask for given the circumstances. Hankins' pain was evident Sunday night, so fans were bracing for the worst. The fact this doesn't appear to put the rest of his 2023 campaign in jeopardy is a huge sigh of relief.
The big man has helped solidify Dallas' defense up the middle this season, which ranks among the league's best in yards allowed. He only missed one contest this year while recording 3.0 sacks and two tackles for loss across 13 appearances.
At 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, it'll be difficult to replace Hankins' presence. However, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn isn't one to let an injury stop him from maximizing the talent he has to play with on his unit.
The Cowboys still stifled the Eagles' offense with Hankins missing 71% of the available snaps, so they should be just fine if he's out for a couple of games. That'll allow the vet to focus on getting completely healthy to help this squad on a hopefully long playoff run next month.
Despite their recent success and the good news on Hankins, the Cowboys aren't getting any love from oddsmakers in Week 15. The NFC's No. 2 seed sits as an underdog against the AFC's No. 11 seed, with the Bills favored by 2 points over Dallas.
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