Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Sam Williams reportedly tore his left ACL during training camp and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024-2025 season.
Williams suffered the injury during a blocking drill in the special teams portion of practice on Saturday, also sustaining a partially torn MCL in the process, according to ESPN.
A video posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, showed Williams being assisted into a golf cart shortly after the injury. He was seemingly unable to put any weight on his leg.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer discussed the blow to the team’s defense on Monday during an appearance on 96.7 The Ticket, saying that the team had “big plans for him” and he likely would have played “70-75 percent of the time.”
“We’ll just have to move some chess pieces around and try to figure out other ways to do things. … With us moving [Micah] Parsons around a little bit, [Williams] was going to be out there with Parsons and [DeMarcus Lawrence]. Marshawn Kneeland has done a really nice job. He would’ve played anyway … but I think he’s going to end up having to play a lot now,” he added, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
Dallas was already thin along the defensive line after losing defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler to the Washington Commanders in free agency, along with defensive tackles Neville Gallimore and Johnathan Hankins leaving to join the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.
Losing Williams for the year means the Cowboys will likely lean even more on their youth along the defensive line. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith and second-round rookie Kneeland could each make a major impact on the team this coming season.
Smith was recently named a breakout candidate for the Cowboys by The Dallas Express due to his potential role in Zimmer’s run-stopping defense.
The Cowboys will now look to get more from Smith after he struggled in his rookie year, managing to collect just 13 total tackles and one sack despite playing in all 17 games of the regular season.
Kneeland is another interesting name to follow leading into the 2024-2025 season. He is likely to have a much larger role than initially expected when the Cowboys selected him with the 54th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy spoke highly about Kneeland before the team’s practice on Sunday, pointing to the rookie’s maturity and mental fortitude.
“Love his physicality, motor, just like we did during the draft process. He’s off to a good start. He’s very comfortable, picks it up in the classroom. Outward personality, which is important. He’s off to a good start,” he said, per ESPN.
Dallas will start the NFL preseason with an away game against the Los Angeles Rams on August 11, followed by another away game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 17 and a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 24.
The Cowboys’ regular season will officially commence with an away game against the Cleveland Browns on September 9 at 3:25 p.m.