The relatively quiet offseason surrounding the usually raucous Dallas Cowboys has dampened debate about one of the most important battles of 2026 training camp: Who will protect Dak Prescott’s blindside?
The Cowboys left tackle competition between former first-rounder Tyler Guyton and former seventh-rounder Nathan Thomas begins in earnest this week from Oxnard, California.
“I mean, it’s the same as every day: coming to work and getting better, trying to get one percent better every day,” Guyton said after the first practice of camp on Wednesday, via the team’s official website .
While Guyton entered 2026 as the projected starting left tackle, coach Brian Schottenheimer made it very public that the job would be an open competition in the early spring. The decision underscored that Guyton has work to do both in his game and to stay healthy after his first two seasons were cut short by injuries. Schotty’s decision not to simply hold a competition in the background underlined the club’s desire to encourage the third-year pro.
From the sounds of it, the tactic has worked so far.
“I [want to get] more technically sound, more confident in the playbook and set-up and overall just a better player,” Guyton said. “Obviously it’s a process and we have to take it day by day, one foot in front of the other. But at the end of the day, I’m trying to get to a point where I’m comfortable going into the season.”