The Dallas Cowboys suffered one of their worst regular-season losses in recent memory on Thursday night, falling 24-16 to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was universally circled as a can't-lose game for Dallas' playoff hopes. And they turned in a dud.
To make matters worse, Tyler Guyton left the game in the fourth quarter while Dak Prescott attempted to mount a 14-point comeback.
Guyton was slow to get up after the Cowboys' failed two-point conversion attempt. The Prime broadcast showed Guyton stretching his back on the sideline. He was ruled questionable with a back injury and did not return. Broderick Jones tagged in at left tackle and did a fine job.
Brian Schottenheimer said postgame that Guyton's X-rays came back good, but the team will run more tests (h/t Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com). Positive news overall, but the Cowboys aren't out of the woods.
Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton to undergo more testing on injured back
It doesn't appear that Dallas is overly concerned. However, how many times have X-rays come back clean only for an MRI to reveal a serious injury? You never want to put too much stuck in initial testing.
At the risk of bringing up the 3-1 Giants, they initially received good news on quarterback Jaxson Dart's knee after he left their Week 2 game against the Rams. However, further testing revealed that he needed season-ending surgery to repair a damaged meniscus.
While I am not saying Guyton is headed for a similar fate, everyone inside The Star should be holding their breath until the tests bring good news.
Guyton's injury could compound an ugly night for the franchise.
For starters, Guyton has taken his game to another level in Year 3. The Cowboys needed to come out of this season with a clear answer regarding their 2024 first-round pick: Is he a franchise left tackle or not? Not only does he look like a long-term starter, but he's playing at a Pro Bowl level.
The last thing Dallas needs right now is for Guyton's development to be stunted. Injuries are a big reason he had so many question marks coming into the year.
We'll have updates on Guyton as they are made available.
Tyler Guyton injury history
2023
Guyton missed one game for Oklahoma in 2023 due to an undisclosed injury.
2024
As a rookie, Guyton played in 15 of 17 games, including 11 starts. He exited in Week 5 with a knee injury and again in Week 13 with ankle and knee injuries. He missed Week 6 with that knee injury, and he was inactive in Week 10 due to neck and shoulder ailments.
2025
Early in training camp, Guyton suffered a right knee bone fracture that was initially feared to be a torn ACL. Thankfully, the initial wave of reporting was inaccurate. He did not need knee surgery and even recovered in time to start in Week 1. However, he missed virtually all of camp, costing him valuable reps at a critical stage of his development.
Fast forward a month, and Guyton missed Dallas' Week 5 clash against the Jets while in concussion protocol.
Later in the season (Week 12), Guyton suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Eagles and ended up missing the final six games. He was available to play in Weeks 17 and 18, but the Cowboys opted to shut him down.
In total, Guyton missed eight games in his first two seasons. Far from ideal for a developing tackle in need of reps.
Guyton's development has been huge for the Cowboys
Motivated to make the LT job his own, Guyton put in a ton of work in the offseason, honing his craft and improving his diet. He maintained a clean bill of health all summer, and the results speak for themselves.
Guyton has become a dominant run blocker and is much more polished in pass protection. He still hasn't allowed a sack this season despite facing a gauntlet of edge rushers. He and Tyler Smith have the potential to form a dominant left side.
And making it all the important that Guyton doesn't miss time is what the defense put on display against the Buccaneers. They made Jalon Daniels look like a blue-chip quarterback prospect.
The Cowboys' offense will continue to operate with little margin for error. They need Guyton playing left tackle.
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