It was Labor Day last month when the Dallas Cowboys stunned reporters and fans by abruptly announcing that star left guard Tyler Smith–a three-time Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro–would require hand surgery after quietly battling a ligament problem in his hand throughout the summer, going back to training camp in Oxnard. Smith went onto injured reserve, which requires a four-week stint out of action, with a four-to-six return timeline offered by Brian Schottenheimer.
Well, four weeks have gone by, and now, Smith is eligible to come back for Thursday’s game against the Buccaneers. That would be a huge boost for an offensive line that still has some soft spots, but has seen left tackle Tyler Guyton excel against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL in recent weeks. A Smith-Guyton left side, with Tyler Booker exceling at right guard would give the Cowboys a top-level front, with only Terence Steele as the weak link on the right side.
Tyler Smith Practice Window Could Be Opened
Now, that does not mean Smith is immediately coming back, and it does not mean he will be on the field on Thursday night in a short week against an 0-4 Buccaneers team. But because Smith’s injury was to his hand, his conditioning should not be an issue–the only problem for him was going to be grip strength. On Monday, ESPN Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer, usually reserved in his pronouncements, even on social media, offered a very encouraging update.
From Archer: “Look for the Cowboys to open the practice window for Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith. He missed the first four games following thumb surgery. Last week, Brian Schottenheimer said Smith has been on top of his communication and does not believe a short week would impact Smith’s ability to play Thursday if all goes well early on. There also seems to be some optimism on DeMarvion Overshown’s return from a hamstring strain.”
Cowboys Have Short Week With Thursday Outing
As Archer mentions, the Cowboys’ first move is just to open the practice window on Smith. Once that happens, the team will have 21 days to decide whether to activate him onto the 53-man roster.
But the feeling is that if the Cowboys open his practice window this week–a week with limited practice because of the Thursday game–they’ll be doing so to get Smith playing again.
The Cowboys kickoff against Tampa Bay at 8:15 on Thursday from Arlington.
Cowboys Ready to Make Move on Injured All-Pro: Report