Cowboys lose Tyler Smith to thumb surgery ahead of 2026 opener

Guard Tyler Smith is scheduled to have thumb surgery, and coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed on Monday that he'll be out somewhere between four and six weeks.

"It's something that he's been dealing with," Schottenheimer said. "It just felt like he couldn't do [it] at a high level."

The three-time Pro Bowler reportedly tried to tough it out.

"At the end of the day, you always see if you can kinda play through these things," Schottenheimer continued. "He's done things like that, like a lot of guys have, they've been able to play through them.

"Unfortunately, when you're an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important. Again, we know he's a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed. He'll be back before too long."

Analysis: Smith's injury is a manageable hit, not a crisis

DAZN NFL writer Jason Abbey

Losing one of the best interior offensive linemen in football is undoubtedly a major blow, but the Cowboys have the strength in depth to manage until Smith is back.

T.J. Bass, a four-year pro, will take over at left guard while Smith recovers, and Schottenheimer didn't sound worried about the drop-off.

"It's unfortunate, but that's why we coveted T.J. Bass and having T.J. Bass back. I think he's played a lot of really good football for us, and we expect that he'll continue to do so," Schottenheimer said.

Bass has logged over 1000 snaps for Dallas since joining as an undrafted free agent in 2023, allowing only two sacks and 16 pressures in that span.

If he can reproduce at a similar level until Smith is back, Prescott and Co. should be able to keep the offense on track.

But if the timeline to Smith's return to the field is any longer than Schottenheimer's four-to-six-week estimate, it may spell trouble for Dallas' playoff hopes.

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