OXNARD, Calif. — One thing the Dallas Cowboys desperately need to find, particularly following a 2024 ravaged by availability issues, is a pesticide that can keep the injury bug away from their roster going forward, seeing as it's already beginning to sting on both sides of the ball in training camp.
The glee from seeing defensive end Sam Williams return from a torn ACL suffered in the previous trip to Oxnard is dampened by a round of new injuries, as well as the fact several impact players, e.g., Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown, are still trying to work their way back to the field.
A terrible scare on Monday regarding the ACL of former first-round pick and starting left tackle Tyler Guyton gave way to news that he would only miss the remainder of camp and the entirety of the preseason, but it also arrived not long before news of Caelen Carson's injury landed.
With that, let's take a look at the Cowboys' injury roundup heading into their third padded practice of camp, along with their accompanying and expected prognosis.
Offensive line
- Rob Jones - neck (fracture): 2-3 months
- Tyler Guyton - knee (fracture): 4-6 weeks
- Terence Steele - ankle (sprain): returned to practice
As stated, the far-from-terrible news within this group is that Guyton isn't lost for the season and there's a chance he won't miss any games at all. The great news is that though Steele missed time with a high ankle sprain, he has already returned to full team practice, effective earlier this week. Jones, however, got news of a broken bone in his neck that will keep him out of action until likely midseason.
Running back
- Deuce Vaughn - hamstring (strain): TBD
The battle at running back is wildly unsorted at this point, and that means Vaughn entered camp with a solid shot at making waves — doing exactly that with his reps before suffering another camp injury that has cost him valuable time on the field. As others in the room make their presence felt in padded practices, Vaughn will hope to return sooner than later.
Tight end
- Brevyn Spann-Ford - leg (undisclosed): 2-3 weeks
Spann-Ford has taken major strides in improving his game, especially as a receiving option for the Cowboys' offense. He left practice with an undisclosed leg injury and unfortunately will not miss several camp practices and likely the first preseason contest but, per head coach Brian Schotteheimer, his timeline for return probably puts him back on the field at some point later in the preseason.
Wide receiver
- Parris Campbell - knee (undisclosed): TBD
The speedy veteran started to flash more and more in camp before going down ahead of padded practices and needing to be helped off by players and medical staff with an apparent leg injury. It is unknown, at this time, the extent and nature of the injury, and when Campbell might return to try and challenge for a roster spot on a stacked WR depth chart.
Cornerback
- Caelen Carson - knee (hyperextension/sprain): 4-6 weeks
- Andrew Booth - TBD
The poor get poorer, in this case, seeing as Diggs and rookie third-round pick Shavon Revel are on the reserve list(s) to begin camp, along with Josh Butler, leaving the cornerback depth chart having only DaRon Bland and the outstanding camp play of Kaiir Elam to lean on. Carson, like Guyton, will have a chance to suit up at the start of the regular season, but he's also coming off of a season-ending shoulder injury suffered as a rookie, so his learning curve isn't getting any easier. Booth delivered his best practice of training camp only one day prior to leaving with a limp to be evaluated, and it's unclear if he'll miss time — adding to the injury woes at cornerback.
Safety
- Juanyeh Thomas - leg (undisclosed): TBD
The talented and versatile safety has taken reps at both his base position and at nickel corner this summer, and in training camp, but his impressive interception one day was followed by his absence at practice the next — Thomas walking with a noticeable limp as he nurses a leg injury. He isn't wearing a brace or using crutches though, so that's at least a silver lining for trying to predict when he might get back to the business of flying all over the field.
