Cowboys CB Caelen Carson out 4-6 weeks with hyperextended knee as Dallas injuries accumulate

An onslaught of injuries hit the Dallas Cowboys over a two-day stretch at training camp, and after a pair of offensive linemen went down with significant ailments, the plague moved onto the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Caelen Carson will miss four-to-six weeks, the team said, with a hyperextended knee he suffered at Sunday’s practice.

Carson missed Monday’s practice because of the knee injury. He is the fourth key defensive back to miss time in camp because of a knee issue, following Trevon Diggs, Josh Butler and Shavon Revel Jr.

While he projects as a reserve in the Cowboys’ cornerback room once it is at full strength, Carson brings starting experience and will likely be at, or near, the top of the rotation to start the season — if he is healthy himself, that is. The 2024 fifth-round pick started five games last season and made 27 tackles and four pass breakups.

Carson was a Week 1 starter for Dallas to open his career, and while he surrendered a touchdown in his pro debut, he kept receivers out of the end zone in the rest of his six appearances on the year.

The hyperextended knee is another injury early in Carson’s career, which already featured a season-ending shoulder surgery that brought a premature end to his rookie campaign. His recovery timeline of four to six weeks could still mean that he will be available for the Sept. 4 opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he would need to return on the early side of the projected window and return to game shape on short notice thereafter.

Injuries stack up at Cowboys camp

Offensive lineman Tyler Guyton left the field Monday with a knee injury, and the team initially feared that he suffered a torn ACL, according to NFL Network. The Cowboys got a dose of relatively good news later in the day when an MRI revealed a less significant injury, a bone fracture, that will likely keep the starting left tackle out for four to six weeks rather than the entire season. Per ESPN, the fracture will not require surgery.

Guyton was the second Dallas lineman to go down with an injury in as many days. Robert Jones preceded him on Sunday when he broke a bone in his neck. Jones carries an anticipated recovery timeline of two to three months and leaves a hole in the interior offensive line’s projected starting lineup.