The Dallas Cowboys already knew they would have to begin the 2026 NFL season without one of the best players on their offensive line.
Now they have received an encouraging update on All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith.
Smith underwent surgery on his injured thumb Tuesday after the Cowboys determined the issue was significant enough to sideline him for the beginning of the season. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer provided an update Wednesday, telling reporters the procedure was successful.
“It went great,” Schottenheimer said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. “He’ll be back sooner than later.”
That’s welcome news for Dallas, even though Smith is still expected to miss multiple games while recovering.
Tyler Smith Expected to Miss 4-6 Weeks
The Cowboys announced earlier this week that Smith would undergo surgery and was expected to miss approximately four to six weeks. Dallas subsequently placed him on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season.
That includes Sunday night’s season opener against the New York Giants.
Smith’s absence creates an immediate challenge for a Cowboys offense preparing to face an NFC East opponent on the road. The 25-year-old has developed into one of the NFL’s premier interior offensive linemen since Dallas selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Smith has earned Pro Bowl recognition in each of the last three seasons and has started 63 games during his NFL career.
Dallas will turn to T.J. Bass at left guard while Smith recovers.
Cowboys Confident in T.J. Bass
Replacing an All-Pro caliber player isn’t easy, but Schottenheimer has made it clear the Cowboys believe Bass can handle the assignment.
“We feel really confident in T.J.,” Schottenheimer said earlier this week, noting that Bass already has experience playing alongside several members of Dallas’ offensive line. Bass has made 10 career starts for the Cowboys, including five during the 2025 season.
The Cowboys also promoted veteran offensive lineman Nick Leverett from the practice squad to the active roster following Smith’s move to injured reserve.
Dallas obviously would prefer to have Smith protecting Dak Prescott from the opening snap of the season.
But after losing one of its most important offensive players before Week 1, Wednesday’s update represented about as good of news as the Cowboys could have hoped to receive following surgery.
