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The Dallas Cowboys have a glaring hole at left tackle with Tyron Smith going down with a hamstring tear and one option the team is looking at is recently retired four-time Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth.
The former Rams captain revealed during an interview during the Texans-49ers preseason game that his phone has been ringing with opportunities, specifically mentioning the Cowboys.
“It has,” Whitworth said. “I mean, obviously, there’s been some things with the Cowboys and losing Tyron Smith. It’s just an awful deal. Such a great player, and a guy I’ve always loved watching play. It’s been a busy day of answering calls. The problem is they’re calling and texting the wrong person. They need to be texting and calling Melissa Whitworth and the kids, because they have final approval on whether I’m ever going to play football again.”
Whitworth will turn 41 this season and was pretty ready to call it a career after winning the Super Bowl in February. Moments after capturing the title, Whitworth told his family that he would be retiring.
“That was daddy’s last football game,” Whitworth told his four kids in an NFL Films clip published after his retirement was announced. “That’s it. No more. I’m gonna be home with you guys. Promise. I’m gonna be a better dad. I’m gonna be around more. I’m gonna coach the crap out of you boys. We’re gonna have some fun, OK? I love y’all.”
So Whitworth isn’t lying about who will have the final say, although there are some other factors. The Rams still hold Whitworth’s rights, as he retired with two years left on his deal.
Cowboys Could Look Internally for Replacement
The Cowboys are exploring all their options but the most obvious one might be on their roster in rookie Tyler Smith. The Cowboys’ first-round pick in this year’s draft played left tackle in college but started camp competing for the left guard spot when Tyron Smith was healthy. Tyler Smith is seen as the future at left tackle, which might have arrived a little early.
Tyler Smith said he had been picking Tyron Smith’s brain leading up to the season, which is the right thing to do when you have the knowledge of an eight-time Pro Bowler at your disposal.
“I definitely ask him a lot, even just, like a lot of pre-snap stuff, where to put your eyes,” Tyler Smith said in July. “What’s your aim when you get out of your stance? What’s your aim in the run game? Sometimes he’ll tell me things like ‘get to your spot in pass protection.'”
Smith is currently dealing with what the team dubbed a minor ankle injury.
Cowboys’ Loss of Tyron Smith ‘Big Disappointment
Injuries have not been kind to Tyron Smith over the last few seasons, with the big man playing in just 13 games since the start of the 2020 season. The Cowboys were already looking to replace some key pieces up front and the veteran’s presence will be felt.
“It’s a big disappointment, none more so than for Tyron himself,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Thursday. “… Immediately that battle cry is ‘let’s get it done early in the season,’ because when Tyron gets back, we’ll be that much stronger.
The Cowboys kick off their season on September 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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