Cowboys Could Be Making Risky Decision With Jaishawn Barham Ahead of Week 2

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to place some added responsibility on the shoulders of rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham (55) on defense during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, the Dallas Cowboys already showed that there’s a ton to fix on defense during Week 1’s ugly loss to the New York Giants.

It’s safe to say that no one saw it being this bad, as the Cowboys simply let the Giants offense do whatever it wanted outside of forcing a fumble in the first half.

But now, injuries for the Cowboys are causing even more concerns about what’s in store on that side for the home opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown has already been ruled out for Week 2 with a hamstring injury, forcing the Cowboys to pivot elsewhere for green dot responsibilities on defense.

Jaishawn Barham Could Be Tasked With Green Dot Role

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham (55) on defense during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham is expected wear the green dot against Washington but with that comes some notable risks for Dallas.

Sure, Barham looked impressive during the preseason and received tons of praise from the coaching staff in training camp, but he’ll be tasked with leading the defensive signals in just his second NFL game. It certainly doesn’t help that it comes against a dynamic quarterback in Jayden Daniels, who led the Commanders to the NFC Championship as a rookie in 2024.

It’s a risky decision for Dallas, which will be staring at an 0-2 start if the issues on defense aren’t fixed against Washington.

That said, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is confident if Barham is officially given the green dot. He obviously knows more about what Barham is capable of than any Cowboys fan does,.

“He’s very loud when he communicates," Schottenheimer said.

Tasking a rookie with being the potential driving force behind this on-field improvement from the defense is asking a lot. The Cowboys could be better off giving that responsibility to a veteran like linebacker Dee Winters or perhaps safety Jalen Thompson.

Some fans even want to see rookie safety Caleb Downs wear the green dot. Though he’s certainly not a typical rookie, Downs falls into the same category as Barham when it comes to the inexperience.

Barham had six total tackles (three solo) against the Giants.

It was a solid start to his NFL career from an individual standpoint but he will have to be even better when the Cowboys and Commanders kickoff from AT&T Stadium on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT.

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