Why is Sam Williams suspended? Explaining reason behind Cowboys DE's 3-game ban
Sam Williams received bad news from the league after a long investigation, going on for one month, concluded recently. The investigation was led by the NFL's commissioner Roger Goodell himself.
So, why has the Dallas Cowboys DE been suspended for three games? According to the league, he has been charged with violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy because of reckless driving and other charges.
His punishment seems odd since he's already not playing due to his season-ending injury. But now, he won't be allowed to draw money for the three games he'll be missing. The ban will extend through to the Week 10 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Unfortunately, this is not the second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC player's first brush with the law. Sam Williams had joined the Ole Mis program but was suspended from the team after being arrested on a felony charge of sexual battery. However, the charges were dropped and he rejoined the program.
He had also been arrested in Frisco, Texas, in August last year and charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon. At the time of his arrest, the police reported that he had been driving at 71 mph while being in a 45 mph zone and found marijuana and a gun in his car.
Additionally, he had also been pulled up for misdemeanor reckless driving in December 2022. In that incident, the DE was driving at approximately 100 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Sam Williams already missing games due to injury
Sam Williams had injured his legs during training camp back in July this year. He had to be carted off the practice field. It was later revealed that he had torn his ACL, which meant that his 2024 season was over even before it began.
DeMarcus Lawrence was supposed to shoulder most of the DE responsibilities, but he himself is out for multiple weeks due to a foot injury and is on the team's IR list. The situation doesn't look good for the team as edge rusher Micah Parsons has also missed the last two games.
The DE had recorded 8.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, and 15 tackles for loss in 32 games spanning his first two NFL seasons. He was slated to take on more responsibilities as part of the Cowboys' defense after Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong left the team during free agency.