The injury bug has bitten the Dallas Cowboys as eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a major leg injury on Wednesday and will miss multiple months of the season, according to reports.
"[Cowboys] standout LT Tyron Smith actually suffered an avulsion fracture of the knee, meaning the hamstring tendon that sits at the back of the knee pulled off the bone and he needs surgery, sources say," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Thursday morning. "If he’s back at all, it’ll be December. A tough loss."
On Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that Smith tore his hamstring on a non-contact play. Smith was able to walk off the field under his own power.
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"I was in pass protect, and all the sudden, I see him on the ground," left guard Connor McGovern said Wednesday evening, according to The Dallas Morning News. "I didn’t even care where the ball was downfield. I instantly just went to him. You saw literally everyone on the offense, even defensive guys, running over there. When a guy like that goes down – it doesn’t even matter who it is, this team is so close. Everyone is trying to get over there and see if they’re all right and get them back up."
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Smith has dealt with multiple injuries over the past several seasons, missing 14 games in 2020 due to undergoing neck surgery, and six in 2021 because of ankle issues and COVID-19.
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Smith was drafted by Dallas in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and is the longest-tenured member of the Cowboys.
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The loss of Smith for a significant amount of time is a major blow for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, who were already dealing with depth issues on the offensive line.
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Dallas selected two offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Draft, grabbing Tulsa OT Tyler Smith with the 24th pick of the first round, and Matt Waletzko out of North Dakota State in the fifth round.
Dallas opens the season on Sept. 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.