Cowboys G Tyler Smith Out 4-6 Weeks Following Thumb Surgery

Cowboys G Tyler Smith is slated to miss the next four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair an issue with his thumb, per Calvin Watkins. The issue has been bothering Smith for a while and evidently a decision was made to get it fixed. Todd Archer reports Smith will go on injured reserve. Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer added T.J. Bass will fill in for Smith while he's out. It's an unfortunate blow for Dallas, as Smith is their best offensive lineman. Smith, 25, was a first-round pick of the Cowboys in 2022 out of Tulsa. He signed a four-year, $13.4 million rookie deal through 2025 and was set to make a base salary of $2,530,788 in 2025 after Dallas picked up his fifth-year option. Dallas re-signed him to a four-year, $96 million contract extension last September, making him the league's highest-paid guard at the time. In 2025, Smith appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys and started each game. He has appeared in and started 63 games for Dallas in his career so far.