Left Tackle Tyron Smith had been limited to individual drills during practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to bone spurs in his ankle. He gradually showed improvement, and on Friday he participated in the mock game portion of practice. The Dallas Cowboys were hopeful that Smith could play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday but it all came down to what happened during Saturday’s practice.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Smith didn’t do enough. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith is not expected to play against the Chiefs. This means that Terence Steele will get the start at left tackle.
#Cowboys standout LT Tyron Smith, who has missed the last few games dealing with an ankle injury, is not expected to play today vs the #Chiefs, source said. This is a big-picture move, especially with the short week ahead.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2021
Smith has missed the last two games after starting the first seven. Although Smith is out against the Chiefs, the improvement he showed during the week means there’s a great chance he will play on Thanksgiving against the Las Vegas Raiders. If that is the case, it will be only the second game since 2019 that Smith, Zack Martin, and La’el Collins have all played in together.
Not having Smith this Sunday is a setback for the Cowboys’ offensive line. However, his absence appears to be for only one more game as the Cowboys get ready for the push to the playoffs.
This has to be end of the line for Smith. No need to continue this next season. Health issues cutting his career short along with limited team success will likely keep him from having a bust in Canton.
Agree Jeff, no need to continue this. Draft a LT in the first or second rd next year. Smith has been a big part of our O-line, but just too many injuries and missed time, and probably won’t get better as he gets older. Of course, just MO.
I totally agree Jeff and have been saying this for several years actually. You cannot have the anchor of your line constantly on the sidelines. His absence has a consistent stumbling stone for the offense. Left tackle needs to be the top priority next year. Tyron is a first ballot HOF player but his body has betrayed him.