"I’m hitting 22 miles per hour at 260 lbs": Cowboys DE Sam Williams opens up about returning from season-ending injury

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams did not play a single snap in the NFL last season. The 2022 second-round draft pick tore both his ACL and PCL in practice in the first week of the team's 2024 training camp.

Williams has now made his long-awaited return to the field ahead of the 2025 season after undergoing surgery and recuperation. The former Ole Miss Rebel told reporters on Thursday that returning to the practice was an emotional experience, and he is in good spirits about his condition:

“It feels like I never had an injury. I’ve put in the work. I feel great, fantastic. No soreness, no aches. I’m running. I’m hitting 22 miles per hour, at 260 pounds. That should tell you everything.”

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Williams was a notable contributor for the Cowboys in 2023, his second season in the league. He continuously displayed glimpses of being an influential player in the pass rush, recording five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks that year. The 26-year-old pass rusher has accumulated 8.5 sacks, 48 tackles, 21 pressures, and 15 tackles for loss in his two full seasons in the NFL.

Williams' injury was the first in the Cowboys' injury-plagued 2024 season. The team finished with a 7-10 record and was unable to make it to the playoffs, instead having to watch their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, win the Super Bowl.

Sam Williams' recovery is a boost for the Dallas Cowboys defense

Sam Williams wasn't a regular starter for the Dallas Cowboys in his first two seasons in the league. However, he was expected to develop into a significant player for the team in time. Williams will now get another opportunity to prove himself to the team now that he is back fit.

The Cowboys are well-equipped at defensive end, with players such as Micah Parsons, Marshawn Kneeland, Payton Turner, Dante Fowler, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, so Williams will have to be impressive in camp to get his chance. Should he keep growing as a valuable contributor, though, Dallas may end up having one of the top pass rush rooms in the NFL.

It is particularly encouraging for the Cowboys that Williams is back to full fitness, as their defense was often porous last season, which was quite uncharacteristic for the franchise.

Edited by John Maxwell