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Cowboys rookie WR David Durden carted off field with leg injury during practice

Nick Profile Picby: Nick Geddes08/24/23NickGeddesNews
David Durden
David Durden (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Dallas Cowboys rookie receiver David Durden suffered a leg injury during practice Wednesday, per Todd Archer of ESPN.

Durden had to be carted off the field after going down during a 1-on-1 drill against cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Durden, undrafted out of West Florida, will undergo an MRI Thursday to determine the severity of the injury. According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, there is concern from those in the building his ACL may not be intact.

A training camp standout, Durden seemed poised to begin the season on the Cowboys’ practice squad. He missed the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars after suffering a concussion earlier in training camp.

Prior to making his way to West Florida, Durden pursued a professional baseball career. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the 20th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, receiving a $125,000 signing bonus to forgo his commitment to Mercer. He retired from baseball after just one season with rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox — now Florida Complex League Red Sox. In two seasons at West Florida, Durden hauled in 88 receptions for 1,915 yards and a program-record-tying 23 touchdowns. 

David Durden becomes latest Cowboys rookie to go down with injury

If Durden did in fact tear his ACL, that would make him the third member of the Cowboys’ rookie class to go down with a significant knee injury. Tight end John Stephens and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown each suffered torn ACL’s in the second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks this past Saturday.

The latter was on his way to being a major contributor during his rookie season, and as head coach Mike McCarthy called him, “the star of the rookie class.”

“He has been frankly, you could make the argument, the star of the rookie class,” McCarthy said Monday. “He stood up the first time we got in the meeting room and the walkthrough with his command. …He was just excelling at every opportunity.”