Cowboys wide receiver thought he suffered another major knee injury vs. Chargers
In his second season, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has gone from a preseason roster casualty to firmly cementing himself as the third receiver option behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
In 15 games, Flournoy has hauled in 35 receptions for 407 yards and four touchdowns — with his fourth coming in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
In the second quarter, he thought it had all come to a screeching halt.
After hauling in his second reception of the game for a 13-yard gain, Flournoy fell to the ground and braced for a defensive player to simply touch him down. Instead, Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman lowered his head and shoved Flournoy further into the turf, bending his knee back into an awkward position.
“I was a little fearful,” Flournoy said. “Because the way I got twisted up, I felt a little click and pop, and I couldn’t return to the game. That hurt me.”
Initial tests at AT&T Stadium had Flournoy and the rest of the team worried that he had suffered a major knee injury. For a player who had torn his ACL in college, he knew what the feeling was like.
“We were really worried about it,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “It was one of those deals where they took him in to evaluate him, and they just weren’t sure. He’s had that knee repaired before.”
But on Monday, further testing showed it was just a strain and that his knee was structurally sound. Just hours later, he was able to get back on the practice field on a day when his career could have significantly been altered.
“I got great news, and I’ve been happy all day, for real,” he said. “We got great news this morning. After the MRI, it was just a sprain. God blesses me in tremendous ways.”
On a frustrating day after the team’s third straight loss, the news of Flournoy’s testing and imaging sent positive shockwaves throughout the team headquarters at The Star in Frisco.
“We were actually in gameplan meetings this morning when I got the call from [head athletic trainer] Jim [Maurer],” Schottenheimer said. “He gave us the great news about [Flournoy], so I did what most people that care do. I picked up the phone and called Flo and told him I loved him and how excited I was. A bunch of the guys in the room started going crazy and pounding the table.”
Flournoy was officially listed as a limited participant in Monday’s walkthrough practice, but he will have to clear some thresholds to be ready to play on Thursday against the Washington Commanders. Even in a season where the playoffs are no longer possible and after a huge scare like the one had on Sunday, he remains insistent on wanting to play the final two games for a purpose bigger than him.
“We’re playing for pride and playing for this locker room, this brotherhood we got,” he said. “Me being in the league, I’ve learned that some people aren’t going to be here next year. I want to go out and play with my brothers on this 2025 Cowboys team two more times. Just have fun with them and fight with them. This brotherhood is special to me. Me being able to play for them, that’s what I’m shooting for.”
The NFL announced on Monday morning that Perryman will be suspended for two games on the late hit he laid on Flournoy. He was flagged for unnecessary roughness during the game, and now he is slated to miss the rest of the regular season for the Chargers. Multiple reports have said that he will appeal the decision.
“I actually did hear that,” Flournoy said. “To clear stuff up, he did come and apologize after the game. That just shows his character and sportsmanship. In the moment, I was heated. Like, why didn’t he just touch me? But he apologized, and I forgive him for it.”
Entering the final two weeks, Flournoy is fourth on the team in receiving behind Pickens, Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson. His four touchdowns are third on the team behind Pickens and Ferguson. After having to fight for a roster spot early in the season, the Southeast Missouri State graduate may have found a groove in his second season that can sustain into 2026.
“I feel like I’ve established myself very well,” he said. “The job’s not done, though. I still want to keep climbing and keep going, be consistent every time. Just be me and show up every time.”
“The development of that young man,” Schottenheimer said. “He had a touchdown yesterday. He had another one called back. He made an incredible catch, maybe one of the best ones I’ve seen in a while. The way he’s playing and the confidence he’s playing with, he deserves all of the great things coming his way.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM.
