Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams will miss the upcoming season with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Williams suffered the injury during practice on Sunday. The Cowboys confirmed the diagnosis Sunday night and that Williams will need orthoscopic surgery. The news is a blow to the Cowboys’ defense and a setback for the third-year player who has had a promising start to his career.
Williams joined the Cowboys as a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Mississippi. He recorded four sacks and 22 tackles in 15 games as a rookie, earning votes for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Williams had 4.5 sacks and 26 tackles as a reserve last season while playing in all 17 of the Cowboys’ games. He finished with the third-most sacks on the team as a key rotational player in the Cowboys’ pass rush. All-Pro Micah Parsons led the team with 14 sacks in 2023.
Free agent departures opened up a bigger role for Williams
Dorance Armstrong Jr. finished second on the team with seven sacks last season and joined the Washington Commanders in free agency. Backup defensive end Dante Fowler, who recorded four sacks last season, also left to join the Commanders, who are coached by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
His departure opened up an opportunity that the Cowboys hoped Williams would help fill. Now that training camp is underway, the Cowboys will be forced to look elsewhere to help fill that void.
According to the Cowboys, Williams suffered the injury while blocking during a special teams drill. He needed help getting off the ground and was unable to put weight on his left leg. Williams will begin and finish the season on injured reserve.