Report: Maliek Collins to Have Surgery on Foot Injury, Timeline Unclear

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins will miss an indefinite amount of time after suffering a foot injury during the team's offseason conditioning program on Thursday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported it's a broken foot and that a recovery timetable is not known at this time. ESPN's Todd Archer added that the lineman will need surgery to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

Collins suffered a broken right foot during organized team activities as a rookie two summers ago and required surgery. He also underwent surgery on his left foot in January to address a stress reaction that lingered throughout last season.

His surgery four months ago was not expected to affect his offseason availability—but now he will need another procedure.

A third-round pick in 2016, the 6'2", 308-pound lineman has become a force in the middle of the Cowboys defensive line. After recording five sacks and a forced fumble as a rookie, he piled up 22 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks last season. He did not record a sack after first appearing on the injury report in October last year.

Despite the injuries, Collins has yet to miss a game in his career.

In his first two seasons, Dallas has ranked first and eighth in the league in stopping the run. The team has also ranked tied for third in rushing touchdowns allowed both years, allowing a total of 16 scores on the ground.

Dallas has made defensive tackle depth a priority this offseason. The team recently acquired defensive tackle Jihad Ward, and Rapoport reported earlier on Thursday that contract negotiations with former Cowboy Terrell McClain are "escalating."