The Cowboys are kicking off their regular season without a huge piece of their offensive line. Left guard Tyler Smith is officially set for thumb surgery, and the word from head coach Brian Schottenheimer is he’s out for 4-6 weeks. Can you believe it? Right before Week 1, a starting lineman is going to be sidelined for a significant chunk of the early season. This is a brutal hit when you’re trying to build momentum and establish an identity right out of the gate.
A Gut Punch To The Offensive Line Before Kickoff
This news came down at a Monday press conference, with Schottenheimer confirming Smith needs surgery. Four to six weeks, man. That’s not just a couple of games, that’s potentially *six* games of the regular season that Smith will miss. He’s headed to injured reserve, which means they can bring in another body for the active roster, but let’s be real: replacing a starting left guard isn’t something you want to be doing days before you open your season. The offensive line is the engine of any good offense, and losing a key starter right away throws a wrench into everything. It puts immediate, unexpected pressure on the entire unit, forcing quick adjustments.
TJ Bass Faces a Gauntlet of Opponents Right Away
So, who’s stepping into those cleats? TJ Bass is getting the call to fill in at left guard while Smith recovers. Bass has his work cut out for him, and then some. This isn’t some easy-breezy start to the season for the Cowboys, either. Their opening game is a massive Sunday night showdown against the Giants. Talk about being thrown into the fire! That’s a tough spot for anyone to make their mark, let alone someone stepping in for an injured starter.
And it doesn’t get easier from there, not even close. Over the first six weeks of the season, Dallas also has to face the Commanders, the Ravens, the Texans, the Buccaneers, and the Packers. That’s a serious gauntlet of opponents for an offensive line that’s suddenly missing a key starter and relying on a fill-in. Every single one of those games is going to be a battle in the trenches, and they’ll need Bass to be ready and performing at a high level from day one against some of the league’s top defenses.
It’s going to be a real test of resilience for the Cowboys right out of the gate. All eyes will be on that offensive line this Sunday night against the Giants. How they hold up, how Bass performs, and how the entire unit gels without Smith will tell us a lot about their toughness and depth for the rest of this early season stretch. You gotta wonder how this impacts their overall rhythm and play-calling with such a brutal schedule ahead. This is a setback, no doubt, and they’ll need to overcome it fast if they want to get off to a strong start.
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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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