The New York Giants defense has plenty to prove entering the new campaign, and they will have a more advantageous matchup for the Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Though the Cowboys offense is expected to be one of the better units across the league, Dallas will now be without star left guard Tyler Smith for the opener against Big Blue.
It was revealed Monday that Smith will undergo surgery on his thumb and will be placed on the Reserve/Injured list to begin the season, per Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Brian Schottenheimer: "Tyler Smith is going to have surgery on his thumb tomorrow morning."
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) September 7, 2026
Smith will go on IR. He'll be out 4-6 weeks.
While members of the Giants defense would say they want the sharpest competition possible,
there's no denying this is monumental news for the defensive line. The likes of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter should find it slightly easier to rush the passer during the primetime bout.
The 25-year-old Smith has played mostly left guard for Dallas since entering the league as a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft. He allowed 26 total pressures, including three sacks, on 700 pass-blocking snaps during the 2025 campaign, per Pro Football Focus.
The Giants opened this season opener as underdogs at home, but it will be interesting if this news shifts the lines at all.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants set to avoid injured Cowboys star in Week 1 opener
