Cowboys DE to miss Week 16 after car accident

Cowboys second-round pick Sam Williams was involved in a car accident Thursday in Plano, Texas, according to WFAA’s Alex Cruz. As a result of injuries from the accident, the rookie defensive end will miss the Cowboys’ Week 16 game against the Eagles, the team announced.

Williams suffered a concussion and a neck strain in the accident, according to the Cowboys. His black Corvette collided with a vehicle that “didn’t appear to yield to oncoming traffic,” Cruz adds. 

The driver of the other vehicle, a 71-year-old man, is not believed to have suffered serious injuries, either.

Both drivers were hospitalized briefly, but Williams indicated (via Twitter) both he and the other driver are OK. Williams, 23, had the right of way, but police are investigating if the speed at which he was driving contributed to the accident. No alcohol or drugs are suspected to be a factor, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes.

The Cowboys added the Ole Miss alumnus to their injury report Friday; he remains on the team’s active roster. Playing as a rotational rusher, Williams has three sacks, eight tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits this season. He has also forced a fumble and recovered three more.

While the Cowboys use veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong ahead of Williams, the young edge rusher has played a steady role this season. He has played between 16 and 24 defensive snaps in each of Dallas’ past six games. Pro Football Focus rates Williams 44th out of 123 qualified edge rushers this season.