Cowboys edge-rush project Marist Liufau becomes IR-candidate after broken forearm setback

Dallas’s training-camp roster decisions in the outside linebacker and edge-rush group have been complicated by a new injury headline, with Pro Football Rumors reporting that linebacker Marist Liufau is an IR candidate after suffering a broken forearm. The news matters because the Cowboys’ preseason depth race for a limited number of spots often comes down to special-teams reps and niche roles, and a forearm injury can remove a player from both practice and availability windows.

Liufau arrived in camp on the roster bubble, and the background for that fight is a positional adjustment. The report frames this offseason as a move for Liufau from off-ball linebacker toward the edge, essentially asking him to add or sharpen the skill set that plays as an outside pass-rusher rather than a middle-level defender. That kind of transition tends to demand a full offseason and early-camp reps, so a broken forearm creates a risk not just for health but also for timing.

The Cowboys’ outside linebacker room was already positioned to be crowded. Pro Football Rumors notes that Dallas signed Von Miller, which added another established edge presence to a group that already included other options competing for playing time. With Miller in the mix, the threshold for making the team becomes steeper for developmental players and converts like Liufau, since the staff must balance production, assignments, and practice availability.

According to Pro Football Rumors, Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated that the forearm issue is expected to be significant enough to keep Liufau sidelined, with the report attributing the comment through ’s Todd Archer. The practical takeaway is that this type of injury typically turns an open competition into a more constrained roster math exercise, because the team’s immediate depth plan must anticipate fewer reps from one player.

A roster-bubble label is particularly relevant here because the edge spot often doubles as a special-teams lane for linebackers. If Liufau cannot take part in normal on-field work, the Cowboys may have to lean more heavily on the remaining edge and linebacker options for camp reps and preseason roles, leaving less room for an experimentation period tied to his off-ball-to-edge transition.

Even with the report centering on an IR-candidate designation, the Cowboys’ next steps will hinge on official team evaluations and how quickly he can begin any rehab progression. The difference between “could miss time” and “is likely to be placed on IR” can depend on medical findings and timing windows, so the situation should be treated as a developing roster and health story rather than a finalized transaction.

For now, the immediate watch items are (1) who absorbs Liufau’s edge work during team sessions, (2) whether Dallas keeps pushing his conversion on a limited basis or pauses it entirely during recovery, and (3) how the Cowboys’ edge rotation takes shape around Miller and the rest of the group as camp moves toward preseason deployment.

In a season where the NFL preseason often functions as a high-stakes tryout, Liufau’s broken forearm reduces one of Dallas’s developmental conversion bets. If the injury keeps him out long enough, it could effectively settle at least part of the depth chart question in the short term, while also shifting how the Cowboys plan for who can contribute immediately on defense and special teams.