FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter of the team's 33-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, according to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones.
"He's got a high ankle [sprain]," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Monday. "We don't think that it's gonna be a severe one. He's gonna be getting further looked at in terms of exactly what we're dealing with here. We'll know more as the day goes by."
Head coach Mike McCarthy also confirmed a high ankle sprain for Hankins, but did not have a further update as he was still receiving treatment as of Monday afternoon.
The injury occurred on Philadelphia's first possession of the second half when a D'Andre Swift six-yard gain saw a lot of bodies fall on Hankins' ankle bending him backwards. Hankins was tended to on the field by the Cowboys' training staff before walking off the field gingerly. He would not return in the win.
After the game, Hankins was seen walking out of the locker room without a walking boot and without a limp.
Hankins' potential loss for the upcoming stretch could prove to be a big one as he has brought experience to the defensive interior line in defending the run and rushing the passer. In 13 games, he has notched 26 tackles and three sacks in his 11th season in the NFL.
In his absence, rookie first-round pick Mazi Smith and Neville Gallimore filled in at defensive tackle while Osa Odighizuwa also took on a bit of a larger role in the second half. Smith and Gallimore will have to take on the brunt of the run defense tasks in the coming weeks should Hankins be sidelined.
Practice squad defensive tackles Carl Davis and Willington Previlon also figure into the equation with three elevations available for each for the rest of the season.
