Jerry Jones, Cowboys Sign Veteran Lineman After Tyler Smith Decision

Tyler Smith's injury reserve decision comes with some roster moves as Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys get ready for the New York Giants in Week 1.

by Yagya Bhargava

Sep 9, 2026

Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith

Kirby Lee - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tyler Smith won’t be lining up for the Dallas Cowboys when they kick off the 2026 season, and that’s a real problem up front for Dak Prescott. The Cowboys made Smith the 24th overall pick back in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he’s been a fixture on the interior line ever since, earning All-Pro recognition along the way.

A torn ligament in his thumb has now put all of that on hold, with surgery becoming the necessary route after Smith initially tried to play through it.

It’s a strange bit of timing given the Cowboys open the year against the New York Giants, a team that now gets a small break not having to game-plan for one of the better guards in the NFC East.

Former Seattle Seahawks guard Laken Tomlinson joins the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dallas surely doesn’t get that luxury. Prescott’s protection just got thinner heading into a road opener at MetLife Stadium, and the Cowboys had to answer for it fast.

Jerry Jones and the front office didn’t wait long to respond, and the moves started coming together as the week progressed. The Cowboys officially placed the All-Pro guard on injured reserve Wednesday, a designation that keeps him out a minimum of four games.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the expectation is closer to four-to-six weeks before Smith is back in the lineup. T.J. Bass steps into the starting left guard spot, and Dallas signed guard Nick Leverett off the practice squad to add depth behind him.

Moreover, the Cowboys also brought in 12-year veteran Laken Tomlinson, a 2015 first-round pick who has started 162 of 173 career games across stops with the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, signing him to the practice squad as further insurance on the interior.

The Cowboys will find out fast how much all of it matters when they open the season against the Giants on Sunday, September 13, at MetLife Stadium.