Before P.J. Locke could celebrate signing with the Dallas Cowboys, he had to face a surgeon’s warning that he might never play football again, or worse, be left with a dead leg. What followed was a life-altering decision that not only saved his long-term health but ultimately gave him a second chance at his NFL career.

“It wasn’t necessarily a thing where I had to do it,” he said in an interview after signing with the Cowboys. “But he advised me to do it. He told me that I needed to be OK with never playing football again if I do the surgery. The downfall of not getting it, if I took the wrong hit, I could sever a nerve, and I’d have a dead leg. After football, watching my son grow up and coaching him through sports and stuff like that, that’s the stuff I was thinking about.”

According to Locke, the decision to undergo the procedure was made after strong medical advice, although there was a risk of never playing again. However, he thanks his stars as it did not turn out to be that way.

He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after being signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he didn’t make the active roster. Later that same year, he joined the Broncos’ practice squad and eventually made his NFL debut in 2020.

In 2024, Locke signed a two-year, $7 million contract extension with Denver. He admitted that he had been dealing with pain for several years, but it worsened significantly during the season.

Following an injury in a Wild Card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 season, Locke underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery last offseason, a surgery no NFL player had ever returned from.

“Luckily, everything ended up working out,” Locke said. “I healed really well, and it was just a miracle how my body recovered. It’s a true testament to what God can do. I’m here today because of that.”

Throughout his six-year stint with the Broncos, Locke has played in 90 games, starting 26 of them. He has accumulated 174 total tackles and four sacks in his time in Denver.

P.J. Locke reunites with Christian Parker on the Cowboys

Amid free agency, Locke finally got his breakthrough after signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys worth $5 million. The move also feels like a homecoming for him.

A Texas native born in Beaumont, Locke played college football at the University of Texas, and now he’s suiting up for the team he grew up watching as a fan.

“Man, it’s such a surreal, full-circle moment,” Locke said via the Cowboys’ official website. “My wife is from Fort Worth. My whole family grew up as Cowboys fans. To be here and play for the home team is a blessing. It’s such a miracle.”

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But his Texas roots aren’t the only familiar part of his new situation. His arrival also brings him back to the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, Christian Parker.

Parker and Locke share a history as members of the Denver Broncos team from 2021 to 2023. During his tenure, Parker was the defensive backs coach before joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. During Parker’s stay in Denver, players such as Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons made it to the All-Pro team.

“When he was my coach with the Broncos, we spent a lot of time together, training camps, waking up early in the morning, and going over film, just helping me get up to par with the IQ of the game,” Locke said about his former defensive backs coach, Parker. “And I feel like I’ve grown so much. … It’ll be super exciting. … It also starts with communication, and CP is the right coach for that.

Back home in Texas and reunited with a trusted coach, Locke isn’t just starting a new chapter; he’s playing with a renewed perspective that could make him one of the Cowboys’ most inspired additions.