FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland escaped a season-ending injury to his right knee, but he will need surgery that could keep him out four to six weeks, according to a source.
An MRI on Monday showed the anterior cruciate ligament remains intact, but he will need arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus tear. If he had suffered a torn ACL, his season would have been over. Provided Kneeland’s surgery and rehab go well, he could return in mid-November after a stint on injured reserve.
Despite the good news, it will impact a Cowboys defensive line that could see Micah Parsons miss another week with a high left ankle sprain while DeMarcus Lawrence is on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot and is also looking at a mid-November return.
Kneeland was injured on the fourth defensive play of the Cowboys’ 20-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he was taking down quarterback Justin Fields. He was helped to the blue medical tent before he was carted to the locker room for more examination and did not return.
The Cowboys used Kneeland and Chauncey Golston as the starters in place of Parsons and Lawrence and turned to Tyrus Wheat and Carl Lawson after Kneeland’s injury. Wheat and Lawson had a half sack against the Steelers as well as three quarterback hurries.
After the game, coach Mike McCarthy said they worked with some linebackers in that spot against the Steelers in case there was another injury.
Lawson has been elevated from the practice squad for the past three games but now would need to be added to the 53-man roster to be eligible to play again. It’s possible the Cowboys will look to reinforce the position with at least an addition to the practice squad with Kneeland out.
The defensive end group has been hit by injuries since the start of training camp. Sam Williams, who was projected to be the Cowboys’ third pass rusher behind Parsons and Lawrence, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in one of the early practices in Oxnard, California.