Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys are bringing defensive end Sam Williams back for another season. Williams was a second-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has had a turbulent career so far.
He finished fifth in the defensive rookie of the year voting. Throughout his three seasons with the Cowboys so far, he has remained a backup. But the thing that has troubled him the most is multiple injuries.
In 2024, after spending two seasons with the franchise, Williams was expected to step up to a bigger role and possibly become a starter. However, during a training camp in July, he suffered a torn ACL and a partial tear of his MCL.
In August, he was placed on injured reserve and missed the entire season. Williams came back for the 2025 season but could only play eight games. He started in five games for the Cowboys, but his inconsistency remained a major problem.
Outside of the football field, Williams has made headlines for the wrong reasons. In August 2023, he was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon, as per ESPN.
Williams was pulled over for speeding in a 45 mph zone. Frisco Police found “THC and marijuana in the car, along with a Glock 17 with a total of 14 9mm rounds,” as per ESPN. Jerry Jones’ comment from that time has resurfaced after Williams was offered a one-year, $3 million deal.
“Everything I know about it, won’t impact his time on the field,” Jones had said. “This sounds a little hollow but he does and is maturing. And he is,” Jones said. “What was he going, 66? Was he going 66 miles an hour? This year? So he’s 34 mph less than he was … so that’s improvement.”
Jones tried to find something positive and jokingly made that comment at the time.
Mike McCarthy Wanted Sam Williams to Learn From His Mistake
The August 2024 incident wasn’t a first for Williams. In December 2023, he was involved in an accident near the team’s practice facility. In January 2025, he was cited for misdemeanor reckless driving.
He was speeding at the time as well, going nearly 100 mph in a 55 mph zone. After his arrest in August 2024, the Cowboys head coach at the time, Mike McCarthy, met with him and said that he should learn from his mistake.
“I think anytime you make mistake, it’s a good wake-up call, absolutely,” he said. “I believe in Sam Williams. I did when we drafted him and even more so now.”
McCarthy said that he was seeing growth in Williams, but he needed to slow down. In his opinion, Williams knew he was wrong, which was a good first step in the right direction.
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