The first day of padded practice for the Dallas Cowboys has seen a major injury.
New Cowboy defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, as respected a veteran leader as there is, has reportedly torn his ACL.
#Cowboys DL Gerald McCoy is feared to have torn his ACL during practice today, sources tell me and @SlaterNFL. He’ll have an MRI that will tell the full story, and nothing is known until then. But that’s the initial word following the incident.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2020
Some background on the injury per ESPN.com:
McCoy suffered an apparent injury to his right knee during the first padded practice of training camp on Monday.
McCoy was hurt during individual drills and was unable to put weight on his leg after he was examined by the team’s medical staff. Before ducking into the locker room, McCoy attempted to take some steps unassisted but could not.
The Cowboys signed McCoy to a three-year, $18 million deal in free agency as part of a rebuild of their defensive line that also included the additions of Aldon Smith, Dontari Poe and Everson Griffen, who has yet to practice but has cleared COVID-19 testing protocol.