Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell appeared to suffer a gruesome arm injury during Monday night’s matchup against the Houston Texans.

The injury was initially presumed to be a broken arm and was later clarified to be a shoulder issue, with his return listed as questionable as the Cowboys struggled to a 17-7 halftime deficit.

The injury happened early in the second quarter with 14:51 on the clock. Bell extended his arm to attempt a last-ditch-effort one-armed tackle on Texans running back Dameon Pierce, who bobbled the ball and was fighting to regain possession. Bell’s arm appeared to hyperextend fully and bent awkwardly, leaving him in pain on the field as Pierce advanced five yards.

The severity of the injury was instantly obvious, with Bell holding the injured arm as he ached on the field. Medical staff quickly treated him on the field before heading straight to the medical tent. ESPN later identified his injury as a shoulder injury on X, keeping him out of the game indefinitely.

Fans reacted to the play on social media, mostly expressing concern for the 25-year-old safety. One fan posted: “Terrible arm/shoulder injury for Cowboys player Markquese Bell. Wishing a speedy recovery.” Another wrote: “So that Cowboys player just had his arm swing all the way backwards? Is that what I just saw?”

The injury added another layer of frustration for Dallas in a game where their defense struggled to contain Houston. They gave up 80 rushing yards in the first half, including two touchdowns in the first quarter alone, and finished the half down by seven points.

Dallas managed to break their home scoring drought with a 64-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Cooper Rush to wide receiver KaVontae Turpin. The score marked the Cowboys’ first home touchdown since Sept 22nd. Rush stepped in for starting quarterback Dak Prescott, who is currently on injured reserve. Prescott was seen on the field during pregame warmups, moving with crutches.

Joe Mixon runs into the endzone

The Cowboys have yet to win a home game this season ( 

Image:

Getty)

The game also saw tight end Jake Ferguson exit early due to a concussion, being ruled out less than six minutes into the first quarter. The play sparked frustration among fantasy football players who had counted on Ferguson’s performance to cash in on bets.

Addressing concerns related to player injuries and their impact on betting, Fanatics Sportsbook issued refunds for bettors with Ferguson prop bets and a voided leg for parlays. They issued a statement on social media about the tight end under the guise of “fair play regulations.”

Dallas has a 3-6 record this season, including 0-4 at home. Through all the losses and chaos erupting from the team’s locker room, players on the roster believe that the team has a chance to succeed.

“Regardless of what happens the week before, something else can change for the good or the bad,” said cornerback Jourdan Lewis before the game. “So we can’t look at it like everything is falling downhill.”