It’s the kind of start that tests a franchise’s resolve. With the Texas summer still biting down, the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp has turned into a battlefield of woes. As cooling fans whirl on the sidelines and hope flickers unsteadily in the stands, a single, urgent question cuts through the heat: Can Dallas survive another devastating loss, or does salvation lie in a familiar face?
For the Cowboys, the 2025 script feels cruelly repetitive. OL Tyler Guyton injured. Guard Rob Jones out. TE Brevyn Spann-Ford limping off. These were just some of the names that suffered injuries at camp. And then, the gravest blow yet, CB Caelen Carson goes down with a hyperextended knee. In a moment, what seemed like manageable adversity now teeters on the edge of chaos. ‘Crisis mode’ may be an overused phrase, but for Dallas’ defense, it feels painfully accurate.
The options on the offensive line are at least serviceable. Hakeem Adeniji steps in for Guyton, with a line of backups vying behind him. But at cornerback, steady hands are scarce, and proven depth is almost nonexistent. Carson’s estimated 4-6 week absence is just the recent blow to the room. Trevon Diggs’ rehab and rookie Shavon Revel’s uncertain recovery compounded the worries. Diggs, for one, has hinted at a mid-season return. In the meantime, DaRon Bland, a star at nickel and boundary, is the lone sure thing among the starters. Kaiir Elam, acquired with upside in mind, has impressed in offseason workouts. The Cowboys have even signed Christian Matthew as a replacement. But is this enough?
Caelen Carson, Credits: Instagram @ walkinseatbelt
Against this backdrop, a name keeps surfacing as a potential lifeboat: former Bills CB, Rasul Douglas. A free agent at 30, Douglas is both seasoned and available, and his recent play suggests he could provide the stabilizing force Dallas so badly needs. Back in 2022, Douglas posted career highs in versatility and production with the Packers, logging 198 snaps in the slot, 13 passes defended, and allowing a respectable passer rating of 84.0. One star speaks to his physicality, PFF’s 71.1 run-defense grade. That’s a quality the Cowboys’ secondary desperately lacks with Caelen Carson on the shelf. As Jerry Trotta writes, “He is a physical corner who is more than happy to get his hands dirty. DaRon Bland is the only sure thing on the active roster. Kaiir Elam has shined all offseason, but he isn’t exactly proven in the regular season. Douglas would knock out two birds with one stone.”
It’s not the first time Dallas has gambled on veteran savvy. Memories of Stephon Gilmore’s impactful but brief tenure still linger, with the veteran logging a career best 54 tackles in 2023. Gilmore did visit the Star back in April this offseason, but no deal came out of it. His age (about to be 35) also raises some questions. But signing Douglas (about to be 31) could be about more than just plugging a leak. Depth wins in the league, and Douglas could add just that for the Cowboys. It could be a promise of stability on an otherwise dangerously lopsided roster following injuries.
Stakes are rising high for Dallas with injuries
The Caelen Carson injury isn’t an isolated event. It’s a symptom of a deeper, league-wide concern: is the grind of modern NFL summers taking an unsustainable toll? As teams across the league report spikes in soft-tissue injuries and rehabs that linger longer than expected, it certainly looks like a broader trend. For the Cowboys, the cost is compounded by timing; with their first preseason match just days away, players like Carson lose valuable developmental snaps. All the while, trusted veterans are pushed back into action, and untested rookies suddenly find themselves in the limelight. But why are so many players getting injured?
As Tommy Yarrish and Mickey Spagnola discussed it way back in January, the problem lies a lot with unpreparedness. As Spagnola had put it, “Practices in the offseason are severely limited, and any sort of contract is prohibited by the collective bargaining agreement. Also, the CBA limits the number of padded practices that are allowed in training camp and the amount of time coaching staffs can spend with the players.” All of this culminates in injuries when the pads finally go on in training camp. With a majority of Dallas’ injuries coming right when the pads went on (Sunday, July 27), this seems all the more likely.
Dallas may still boast one of the NFL’s most talented rosters, but this offseason’s adversity has revealed how thin even the best teams can become. As many as 9 players got injured in camp. Several other names were already on the sideline following last season’s pains. The latest absences have posed a significant challenge: the Cowboys must now try to fill the gaps wherever they can and move forward with a bruised roster.
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