It's going to be an un-happy new year for Dallas Cowboys fans.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed on Monday, Sept. 7 that offensive lineman Tyler Smith will be sidelined for four to six weeks because of thumb surgery.
Smith, the 2023 second-team All-Pro, will have surgery Tuesday to correct an injury to his left thumb, per Schottenheimer. He will be placed on Injured Reserve (IR) with a designation to return. On IR, Smith will have to miss the minimum four games before he can return.
"We know he's a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed and he'll be back before too long," Schottenheimer told reporters Monday.
Smith will be replaced by T.J. Bass, who played in 16 games (five starts) in 2025 for Dallas.
It's an early blow to Dallas,
which will play a host of tough defensive teams in the first month-plus of the season, including the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Weeks 3, 4 and 5.
Waiting in Week 6 are the Green Bay Packers, who may return former Cowboy Micah Parsons from injury at that point.
The Cowboys open their 2026 schedule vs. the upstart New York Giants on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 1.
Tyler Smith injury update
The Cowboys' All-Pro left guard was placed on IR with a designation to return, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Smith was dealing with a thumb injury, but opted to have surgery instead of playing through it. He will miss the minimum four games while on IR, with a return coming in four to six weeks, Schottenheimer said.
Dallas Cowboys 2026 schedule
- Week 1 (Sept. 13): at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Week 2 (Sept. 20): vs. Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 3 (Sept. 27): vs. Baltimore Ravens (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Week 4 (Oct. 4): at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 5 (Oct. 8): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
- Week 6 (Oct. 18): at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Week 7 (Oct. 26): at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
- Week 8 (Nov. 1): vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 10 (Nov. 15): vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 11 (Nov. 22): vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 12 (Nov. 26): vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Thanksgiving), 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 13 (Dec. 7): at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
- Week 14: Bye week
- Week 15 (Dec. 20): at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Week 16 (Dec. 27): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Week 17 (Jan. 3): vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Week 18 (Jan. 9-10, 2027): at Washington Commanders, date/time TBD
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys lose star offensive lineman to injury days before season opener
