Dallas Cowboys TE John Stephens Jr. suffers season-ending torn ACL again

Dallas Cowboys tight end John Stephens Jr. suffered a season-ending torn ACL during Wednesday’s practice, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed on Thursday. It’s the same knee where he tore an ACL last season.

Stephens, despite having some bright moments in preseasons the last two years, has yet to play in a NFL game.

That’s part of the reason why McCarthy said Wednesday’s injury was so disappointing. Stephens had been working back from a hamstring injury he suffered early in the season. And though he had yet to make his debut, McCarthy said it was coming, even potentially this Sunday against San Francisco.

Actually, coming out of the bye week, we had plans to try to get him more involved,” McCarthy said. “So yeah, very unfortunate injury yesterday.”

The Cowboys have had some questions behind starting tight end Jake Ferguson this season. Backup tight ends Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford have combined for 10 catches for 76 yards this season. The Cowboys have tight end Princeton Fant on the practice squad. He’s someone the Cowboys could consider adding to the active roster.

Stephens’ potential has been apparent for quite some time. The former undrafted free agent out of Louisiana was in line for a roster spot before he tore his ACL his rookie year. Cowboys coaches were high on him heading into this year, resulting in a roster spot this go around.

“I think he’s ahead of schedule, physically,” Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells said during OTAs. “He’s been working his behind off with Britt (Brown) all season. And one of the best things that happened for him was God took away his legs to force him to get into the weight room and build that upper body strength.

Now, Stephens will have to go through that rehab process for the second-straight year.

“Very disappointed,” McCarthy said about Stephens injury. “I think to a man you just could feel the energy sucked out of practice at that moment. So cannot say enough about him. You talk about a young man with a very bright future and this is just another setback unfortunately. But just the work that he put in. I mean, he’s here every day. Did everything that was asked of him and frankly we were trying to give him more work.”