Stephen Jones gives updated injury timeline for Tyron Smith heading into bye week

The Dallas Cowboys are limping into the bye week with several players dealing with lingering injuries and new issues sustained in the Week 8 contest. The week off could not have come at a more opportune time.

Before kickoff even began on Sunday, Dallas was already dealing with injuries to Ezekiel Elliott, Malik Hooker, Noah Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and Sam Williams. Week 8 didn’t help either. Now names like Jayron Kearse, Connor McGovern, Anthony Brown, Anthony Barr, and Donovan Wilson are added to the list of people who had to come off the field at some point in the game.

While some Cowboys feel lucky to have some time off the field, a veteran who hasn’t seen the field at all this season may be making a comeback sooner than expected.

Veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith was deemed out indefinitely just a week before the regular season after sustaining a severe knee/hamstring injury. The Cowboys were confident they could get the 31-year-old back at some point this season, but they weren’t sure when.

That was until Stephen Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan and gave the first injury update for Smith that had an actual timeline, stating the tackle could be back in “three to four weeks.”

Stephen Jones says Cowboys LT Tyron Smith could be back in three to four weeks during bye week interview

This new timetable would mean that the Cowboys could get “the older Smith” back as early as the highly-anticipated Thanksgiving matchup with the New York Giants. This is the first we have heard of a declared, yet flexible timeline for the 8x Pro Bowler.

Since August, the future Hall of Famer has been working tirelessly with Cowboys director of rehabilitation Britt Brown in hopes of making a debut before the playoffs for Dallas. Now, that seems more probable than ever.

When asked about how Smith’s return would affect guys like Tyler Smith, Connor McGovern, and the offensive line as a whole, Jones said those conversations hadn’t happened yet, but given Smith’s caliber, it’s likely he’ll be playing.

"“We’ve been so focused week to week and game to game – getting these guys better as a unit. As that time nears, I’m sure coach [Mike McCarthy] and Kellen [Moore], [offensive line coach] Joe Philbin and that group will have some discussions about what gives us the best chance to win when Tyron gets back. He’s an All-Pro, Hall of Fame type player and if you’re going to have your best five guys out there, I’m sure he’s one of them.””"

This leaves an opportunity for the younger Smith to move back into the left guard position, which is what he played in college and where he took most of his snaps in training camp and preseason.

Regardless of when the veteran returns, this offensive line deserves its credit. Going into the season, this group (given all of the injuries and issues) was a major cause for concern. All things considered, the unit has held its own. This can only be improved by the presence of one of the greatest offensive linemen in the league.

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