FRISCO, Texas — The Cowboys seemed to finish camp spotless, but could that flawless run be shattered?
That changed Monday when coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith will undergo thumb surgery Tuesday and land on the IR‑designated‑to‑return list, aiming for a four‑to‑six‑week comeback. T.J. Bass now steps in at left guard.
The injury involves ligament damage to his left thumb. Smith tried to play through it, but the condition stalled, making surgery unavoidable.
“At the end of the day, he felt like he couldn’t do things he needed to do at a high level,” Schottenheimer said. “This is a long season, so let’s get it fixed. It’s unfortunate, but that’s why we coveted T.J. Bass. He’s played a lot of really good football for us and we expect he will continue to do so.”
“You always think you can kind of play through these things. He’s done things like that, a lot of guys have. Unfortunately when you’re an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important,” the coach added.
In my view, losing Smith hurts Dallas more than most realize; the team hoped to field one of the league’s elite interior lines with Smith, center Cooper Beebe and right guard Tyler Booker.
The Cowboys should still rank among the league’s top offenses, but Dak Prescott may need to release the ball faster in the air, and the ground game could lose a little edge.
Dallas opens its season on “Sunday Night Football“ at the New York Giants. Will the team adjust its attack without Smith?