Cowboys dealt ultimate gut punch with Terence Steele injury update

It’s easy to put a positive spin on the Dallas Cowboys’ narrow victory over the Houston Texans in Week 15. That is, if the team had escaped the win without any major injuries.

While Dallas survived several scares on Sunday, there was a general understanding that Terence Steele’s injury would bear bad news.

All you had to do was watch a replay of Steele’s injury to realize the severity of it. As he’s done with aplomb all season, the 25-year-old sealed the edge at right tackle on a passing down. While finishing the play, though, Steele was undercut by a Texans defender that teammate Tyler Smith shrugged off like a rag doll.

Ultimately, Steele was assisted off the field by trainers and was swiftly ruled out with a knee injury. Postgame reports indicate Steele suffered a potential season-ending injury, and the MRI has unfortunately confirmed those fears.

It’s a torn ACL and MCL for Steele, per multiple reports. His season is over.

Cowboys backup plan on offensive line after Terence Steele’s torn ACL and MCL

Just awful news for Steele and the Cowboys, who are now left in a bind at a position that’s quietly become a strength for the offense.

2021 fourth-round pick Josh Ball initially replaced Steele, but was quickly benched for Jason Peters after he was beat handily on consecutive reps. It’s no coincidence Dallas found a rhythm on offense once Peters replaced Ball, and you have to assume the 40-year-old will start at right tackle moving forward.

Peters has played left tackle for most of his career, but he’s filled in at left guard throughout the season. The former longtime Eagle had not taken a snap at right tackle since 2005 before Sunday, and it’ll be interesting to see how he olds up at the position against teams that offer better pass-rushing acumen than Houston.

Despite everything he’s accomplished in his career, Peters will be hard-pressed to personify a like-for-like replacement for Steele.

A 25-year-old in his third season as an undrafted free agent, Steele logged a 95% snap share this season. Remember Dallas’ polarizing decision to release La’El Collins in the offseason? Us, neither. That’s how good Steele’s been at right tackle. Per PFF, he’s allowed just 20 pressures, four QB hits, and one sack in 2022.

The Cowboys will get Tyron Smith back soon, and Peters’ veteran savvy will certainly help the offensive line function in Steele’s wake, but it’s impossible to overstate the significance of this injury with the playoffs on the horizon.

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