Cowboys Edge Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku Out After Hip Surgery

This probably isn’t the way Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku envisioned his 1st NFL offseason going.

The Cowboys disclosed some pretty bad injury news on the 2025 2nd round pick (No. 44 overall), who will miss the offseason program after hip surgery.

“Donovan Ezeiruaku is five weeks removed from hip surgery that will prevent him from being a full participant in the offseason program, per source,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X on Monday. “The expectation is he will be ready for training camp.”

Key word: Expectation. In reality, we really don’t know how Ezeiruaku’s hip surgery — whatever kind of hip surgery that might have been — will impact him in the long term.

It’s not the only bad news Ezeiruaku is dealing with this offseason.

Arrest Overshadowed Promising Rookie Season

Ezeiruaku was arrested for reckless driving in Texas on January 11, according to Collin County arrest records.

From CBS News Dallas: “Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested over the weekend, Collin County jail records show. Jail records show Ezeiruaku was arrested by the Department of Public Safety for reckless driving on Jan. 11. He was released the same day with a bond of $500 and other unlisted conditions.”

The Cowboys released a statement to CBS, simply saying they were aware of Ezeiruaku’s arrest.

Ezeiruaku played in all 17 games for the Cowboys as a rookie, with 9 starts, 40 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 TFL, 12 QB hits and one safety.

“Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested in Collin County yesterday on a charge of reckless driving,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris wrote on his official X account on Monday, January 12. “Uncharacteristic mistake for Ezeiruaku who has been everything the Cowboys could’ve hoped for off the field early in his time in Dallas.”

Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame