Alright, Cowboys fans, let’s talk about some seriously good news. Remember DeMarvion Overshown, the linebacker who’s basically a human highlight reel? Well, he’s back – at least, back at practice. After a brutal run of injuries – tearing his ACL in the 2023 preseason and then again on Thanksgiving, along with his MCL and PCL (ouch!) – Overshown is finally hitting the field again.

The dude is only 25, and you can tell he’s itching to get back in the game. He’s been limited in practice so far, focusing on individual drills and conditioning. Think of it as his own personal training camp, designed to get him back to peak form.

And Overshown himself? He’s straight-up grateful. "Ain’t God good, man. He is. He is. It’s a blessing just to be out there," he said. "Been watching for 300-plus days now. So when you [are] a guy like me that football is more than just a game to you, it’s a way of life, you play with a passion and that energy. When you’re able to do it again, you never take it for granted."

The plan is for Overshown to make his official debut – rocking the jersey No. 0, by the way, which is a first for the Cowboys – after the team’s Week 11 bye. Mark your calendars, people, because it’s going down on "Monday Night Football" against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"That game, I mean, that’s what we’re looking like. Monday night prime time. Zero will be making his debut. I’m excited for it. It’s not going to be anything short of extraordinary," Overshown said. "I’m ready to show truly how blessed I am. A lot of people claim that this knee injury is one of the worst of the worst and not too many people come back the same afterward. I’m ready to put that to the test."

Feeling Good, Looking Good

Here’s the crazy part: Overshown says he actually felt like he was ready to go before training camp even started back in July. Now, it’s all about fine-tuning his conditioning and getting back into football shape.

"Really before training camp. I kind of got an idea of where I should be just from the first knee injury. So once I got to that five, six-month period, it’s like ‘alright I should be doing a little bit of moving.’ Once I start moving around, it’s like ‘I’m going to be good.’ It’s a confidence thing and [a] mind thing at that point," Overshown said. "My knee is healed, now it’s learning how to run again, learning how to be an NFL football player again. Because you know you don’t just wake up and do that overnight after being on a walker. I feel like for about four months I’ve been comfortable with my knee. It’s just been getting into football ready shape."

Overshown’s game is all about that explosive athleticism, and he’s convinced that he’ll be even better when he finally gets back on the field. Yeah, you heard that right.

"I’m stronger, and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. But stronger, faster, jump higher, more explosive. You name it, I’m all of it. My game, it’s not going to slow down. I think one of the worst things I heard over my rehab time was, ‘Man, you’ve got to slow down. We need you to play a full season. You’ve got to slow down.’ But that ain’t how I play," Overshown said. "I know how to play one way, and that’s 100, full speed and that’s all you’re going to see. So the knee is stronger than strong."

Teammates are Hyped

It’s not just Overshown who’s excited. His energy and dedication during rehab haven’t gone unnoticed by his teammates. New Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is practically drooling at the thought of seeing Overshown in action.

"D-Mo is another type of deal that I’ve never seen, especially at the linebacker position. He can do everything, so I haven’t ever seen that — let alone all the highlights," Pickens said Wednesday. "I’m kind of ready to see it in real time. … He’s got different swag. I told you he’s a different type of dude. I’m just waiting to see it in person because it’s my first year here."

Can Overshown Be the Spark the Defense Needs?

Okay, let’s be real. The Cowboys’ defense this year… hasn’t been great. They’re not getting the same pressure on opposing quarterbacks, their sack numbers are down, and overall, they’re just not as dominant as they’ve been in recent years since Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers. The 2025 Cowboys defense under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus ranks bottom five in the NFL in multiple defensive metrics including being dead last in total defense (401.6 total yards per game allowed), pass defense (260.3 passing yards per game allowed) and third down defense (51.6% third down conversion rate allowed).

It’s not entirely surprising given the Cowboys defense had the NFL’s highest expected points added (EPA) per play when Parsons was on the field (0.08) from 2021-2024 and the NFL’s lowest EPA per play when Parsons was off the field (-0.04) in the same span, per CBS Sports Research.

To put it bluntly, the numbers aren’t pretty:

• Points per game allowed: 29.4 (29th in the NFL)
• Total yards allowed: 401.6 (Last in the NFL)
• Yards per play allowed: 6.1 (30th in the NFL)
• Pass yards per game allowed: 260.3 (Last in the NFL)
• Rush yards per game allowed: 141.3 (30th in the NFL)
• Third-down conversion rate allowed: 51.6% (Last in the NFL)
• QB pressure rate: 39.9% (11th in the NFL)
• Sacks: 15 (T-14th in the NFL)
• Passer rating allowed: 110.6 (31st in the NFL)
• Takeaways: 6 (T-23rd in the NFL)
• Zone coverage rate: 81.9% (4th in the NFL)