Dallas Cowboys fans were holding their breath on the last day of the holiday weekend when reports began surfacing from practice that star offensive lineman Tyler Smith was not on the field or working with the rehab group. His Monday absence didn't have an obvious or immediate explanation.
Unfortunately, fans' worst fears were cruelly confirmed when head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke following practice, as he told the media that Smith will undergo thumb surgery on Tuesday, September 8, and he will be placed on short-term injured reserve.
That means that Smith will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2026 NFL season, but Schottenheimer noted that it may be up to six weeks until the stud left guard returns to the lineup. This is a devastating blow for Dallas just days before the season opener against the New York Giants.
Dallas Cowboys LG Tyler Smith to be placed on short-term IR with thumb injury
Schottenheimer mentioned that this thumb injury was something that Smith has "just been dealing with," and the decision to get surgery was a result of Smith feeling like he couldn't do the things that he needed to do in order to perform at the high level that he and Cowboys fans are accustomed to.
The timing here couldn't be worse, as Dallas now has to scramble a bit before their Week 1 matchup against a divisional foe. It doesn't sound like any one event set this injury off, so it hurts knowing that this all could have been dealt with weeks ago and that Smith could be ready to go in Week 1.
In an ideal world, Smith is back on the early end, and he makes his 2026 debut in Week 5. The problem is that Dallas plays on Thursday Night Football that week, so it may be best to reintegrate him again during a long week ahead of Week 6's primetime bout against the Green Bay Packers.
As fans expected, Schottenheimer told reporters that T.J. Bass will start at left guard in Smith's absence, and that he has a lot of faith in Bass to get the job done. While Bass is an invaluable depth piece, it's not preferable to see him as soon as Week 1. But such is the case for the Cowboys.
There are many potential tentacles to this news, as Smith is sort of the "break glass in case of emergency" option at left tackle if Tyler Guyton struggles. Now, that would probably be Broderick Jones. And Guyton has significantly less help alongside him to begin what is a big year for him.
With the open roster spot that placing Guyton on IR will provide, the simple solution for Dallas would be to promote Nick Leverett from the practice squad to the active roster. He's already in-house and knows the offense, so he could be plugged in as a depth piece without skipping a beat.
Nothing will make up for the loss of Smith, who, in many ways, is the best offensive lineman in the league and worth every penny of his $96 million contract. Thankfully, the Cowboys have solid depth on the interior, but that's a far cry from flat-out dominance at left guard.
Get well soon, Tyler Smith.
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