Cowboys guard Tyler Smith to have thumb surgery, headed for IR - ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will be without Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith for at least the first four games of the regular season after he undergoes surgery on his left thumb Tuesday.

Smith attempted to play through the injury, but he and the club came to the realization that surgery, which will repair a ligament tear, was the best option after trying different ways to protect the joint.

The earliest Smith could return would be Oct. 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that would be on a short week with a Thursday kickoff. The Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 18.

«Unfortunately, when you're an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important,» coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday. «We know he's a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed and he'll be back for too long.»

Smith, 25, has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons, joining Larry Allen and Zack Martin as the only guards in franchise history to appear in three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons. He dressed but did not play in one game in 2025 with a knee injury and one game in 2024 with an ankle injury. He missed three games in 2023 due to hamstring, including the season opener, and foot injuries.

In February, Smith had a clean-up surgery on his right knee.

«He's such a tough guy. I can't say enough about Tyler,» Schottenheimer said. «I mean just the toughness, but at the end of the day we can't pinpoint when it happened. It's just one of those deals that at the end of the day made the decision that we all did that the best thing is to get in front of this thing and it's a long season so let's go get it fixed.

T.J. Bass will replace Smith in the starting lineup. He has started 10 games in his