Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer brought up a name Thursday that hadn’t been on the radar for Cowboys fans in a while: linebacker Marist Liufau.

Liufau had his 21-day practice window opened on Thursday. He’s been on injured reserve since the end of the preseason, which means Dallas now has three weeks to decide whether to activate him to the 53-man roster.

All indications are that he’ll rejoin the team. The Cowboys have been high on Liufau, more so than the fans and media members who consistently viewed him as a cut candidate before August. And yet, he made it through.

The bigger question for me is where Liufau fits going into Week 7 and beyond in the 2026 NFL season. Let’s break it down.

Cowboys OLB room is crowded

Liufau was originally an inside linebacker. However, the Cowboys moved him to outside linebacker after defensive coordinator Christian Parker arrived, and that room is crowded.

For starters, first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence recently got a bump in playing time. Expect that to continue. Lawrence is one of the most promising players on the roster at generating pressure, and pressure is something the Cowboys have struggled to create.

Dallas also has Donovan Ezeiruaku, who sits higher on the depth chart than Liufau.

Then there’s Rashan Gary, who has led the Cowboys in snaps at the position since Week 1. That trend isn’t going anywhere after he recorded nine pressures against the Green Bay Packers.

The Cowboys have other depth pieces, too. But will Liufau eat into Von Miller’s snaps? I’d say that’s doubtful.

Could Liufau move back inside?

Dallas could use Liufau at inside linebacker, particularly if Dee Winters misses an extended stretch.

Schottenheimer hasn’t committed to a timetable for Winters, who recorded his first interception Sunday night. That said, the Cowboys did not place Winters on injured reserve, so his timeline is up in the air. It doesn’t seem like it will be a long-term injury.

Additionally, Dallas already has Marvion Overshown returning from injury and is expected to play Monday night against the Eagles. So maybe Liufau slides back to his former position to provide depth there. Even so, I’d guess he wouldn’t see the field much on defense.

Special teams is where the opportunity is

That leaves special teams, which is where I think the Cowboys have always seen Liufau.

Two linebackers, Justin Barron and Shemar James, rank among the Cowboys’ top three in special teams snaps this season. Liufau was second on the team in 2025 with a 75% snap share on special teams.

That’s a relevant piece of information when you look at Tyrus Wheat.

Wheat was in direct competition with Liufau for one of the final roster spots in the preseason. The two played deep into the third preseason game before Liufau suffered an injury that ended the battle prematurely. The spot went to Wheat.

Wheat has played 55% of the special teams snaps this season, according to Pro Football Reference. If anyone loses out from this news, it might be him.

To me, the move that makes the most sense is Liufau taking over Wheat’s role, as long as the Cowboys view him as an upgrade on special teams. For all intents and purposes, it seems like they do.

Dallas has always presented itself as a big believer in Liufau. I’d even argue the decision to move him from inside to outside linebacker was a way to justify his roster spot beyond special teams.

So that was always the idea. Now that his practice window is open, I expect Liufau to return to the 53-man roster at some point. Just expect the impact to show up on special teams, not so much on defense.