Cowboys DE Sam Williams carted off practice field with apparent knee injury

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams went down with an apparent left knee injury during practice Sunday and had to be carted off the field, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

While the severity of the injury is currently unknown, it was described as “not good” from someone who saw it live, according to Nick Harris of Cowboys.com. Williams sustained the injury taking part in a special teams drill.

Cowboys DE Sam Williams (knee) being carted off after going down during a drill pic.twitter.com/BJotookxEO

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 28, 2024

Team owner Jerry Jones said that Williams will undergo an MRI later this afternoon.

“Didn’t like what we saw,” Jones said.

Cowboys’ depth to be tested after injury to Sam Williams

Williams, 25, was gearing up for his third season with the Cowboys, who selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. He has suited up in 32 games over the past two seasons, tallying 8.5 sacks, 48 tackles (30 solo), 16 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Williams was expected to once again serve as useful depth behind DeMarcus Lawrence this season.

The Cowboys did, however, select former Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland in the second round of this year’s draft. Kneeland was already going to see some action in 2024, but his role could be even larger depending on the diagnosis of Williams’ injury. Nevertheless, Dallas’ depth will certainly be tested this season if Williams misses any game time.

Williams racked up 10.5 sacks with the Rebels in 2021, tying the school record. For his efforts, he earned First-Team All-SEC honors. His 57 tackles that year were the most by a Rebel defensive lineman since 2018. He also had 14 tackles for loss. Williams earned second team All-American honors.

In 2020, Williams recorded 40 tackles and four sacks. His junior year, he tallied six sacks, once again showcasing his talent as a pass rusher. Before joining the Rebels, he starred at junior college (Northeast Mississippi Community College), becoming one of the nation’s most coveted prospects in the JUCO ranks.