OXNARD, Calif. – Even before the first full-padded practice, the Cowboys have suffered their first significant injury of camp.

Sam Williams, who is expected to have an increased role and help the team’s pass rush, suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee during Sunday’s practice. That injury will require orthoscopic surgery and will put him on season-ending injured reserve.

Williams was participating in a special teams drill when he was blocking with another defender during the injury that dropped him to the ground for a few minutes. Williams had to be helped up and put no weight on his left leg when he was carried to the cart.

Immediately after practice, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones was hoping for the best-case scenario regarding Williams, but said “it doesn’t look good.”

That’s a tough loss for both Williams and the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 2022 with hopes he could be a force off the edge.

While Williams has recorded 8.5 sacks in two years, this was supposed to be his big opportunity seeing as the Cowboys did not re-sign free agency Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, who both reunited with Dan Quinn in Washington.

So with Williams down, the Cowboys will turn to other pass-rushers such as second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland, along with Durrell Johnson and Junior Fehoko.

The Cowboys obviously have one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers in Micah Parsons, who has 40.5 sacks in the first three seasons, along with four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence.