The Dallas Cowboys have made a decision on one of their key players for their future – a decision that won’t see him on the field again until the 2026 season.
The Cowboys announced they were placing 6-foot-7, 322-pound left offensive tackle Tyler Guyton on the injured reserve, meaning his season is over as the Cowboys have already been eliminated from the playoffs.
“The Cowboys placed OT Tyler Guyton on IR and signed DB Corey Ballentine from the practice squad,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on X on Wednesday, December 24.
Guyton was the Cowboys’ first round pick in the 2024 NFL draft (No. 29 overall) and has been out since he suffered a high ankle sprain in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on November 23. He started in all 10 games he played in 2025 after starting 11 times in 15 games as a rookie.
The Cowboys, 6-8-1, play the Washington Commanders in Week 17 on a Christmas Day game on Netflix.
Cowboys Make Unusual Move to Replace Guyton
The Cowboys played left guard and fellow former first round pick Tyler Smith at left tackle again after he did so and seemed to thrive in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Sunday that the plan is to play Smith at tackle for the remainder of the season and go from there,” Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney wrote on December 22. “Smith, though, said he is not quite sure where this is all going. TJ Bass replaced him at left guard … Quarterback Dak Prescott, who had taken seven sacks in the past two weeks with Nate Thomas at tackle, was sacked only once (against the Chargers).”
Smith, who earned his third Pro Bowl selection in 2025, didn’t want to speculate if it might be a permanent position move.
“I honestly have no idea,” said Smith, the No. 24 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. “For this week, it was due to some injuries, some guys going through some stuff. Ultimately I’m going to do what’s best for the team. Also, I’m a smart player, I understand who I am and where I am and ultimately what I’m getting paid to do. I’m going to be smart and we’ll have those conversations when we have those conversations.”
Guyton Under Pressure Headed Into 2025
While Guyton may have slightly improved his play in 2025, he’s still a far cry from being considered among the NFL’s elite offensive tackles — something he will have to prove in 2026 if he wants the Cowboys to pay him like one of them.
Guyton has a 57.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, placing him 65th out of 83 eligible players at his position.
Headed into 2025, there was some question as to whether or not Guyton was even going to be able to make it through the season because of his poor play as a rookie.
“A rough transition to the professional level seemed inevitable for Guyton … who offered an enticing package of athleticism but lacked the refinement to engender much trust as a rookie as he flipped from right tackle to the left side,” Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote on June 9. “The No. 29 overall pick started 11 games for the Cowboys and proved to be a weak link for the line, committing 18 penalties while struggling mightily against in both pass protection and run blocking.”
Cowboys Make Final Decision on 6-foot-7, 322-Pound Former First Round Pick