Brian Schottenheimer confirmed the fears surrounding Princeton Fant on Tuesday. The head coach revealed on Wednesday that the Dallas Cowboys tight end suffered a torn ACL along with a partial MCL injury during Monday’s training camp practice.
Fant will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, but Schottenheimer said doctors are optimistic the 27 year old will make a full recovery. The injury occurred during the Cowboys’ first padded practice of training camp in Oxnard.
Fant was involved in a running play when he was blocked backward into running back Israel Abanikanda, taking a knee to knee hit to his left leg. He immediately went down in pain and was unable to put any weight on the injured leg.
Medical staff attended Fant on the field before he was helped to the trainers’ tent. He was later carted to the locker room, a sight that immediately raised concerns among teammates and coaches. Those concerns were confirmed a day later when Schottenheimer announced the severity of the injury.
Fant joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2023 and has spent the last three seasons carving out a role primarily on special teams. He has appeared in 11 regular season games, recording two tackles while providing depth at tight end.
While Fant was not expected to have a major offensive role behind starter Jake Ferguson, his versatility and special teams contributions made him a valuable member of the roster. His absence now leaves Dallas with Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann Ford as the team’s top healthy tight ends entering the remainder of training camp.
The injury is the first major setback of the Cowboys’ 2026 training camp. Dallas has already managed several minor injuries in the secondary, including safety P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson, but both are expected to return soon. Fant’s injury, however, is expected to end his 2026 season before it even begins.
Despite the disappointing news, Schottenheimer offered a positive outlook by emphasizing that the medical team believes Fant has an excellent chance to fully recover following surgery. The Cowboys will move forward without one of their key special teams contributors while Fant begins the long road back to the field.
