Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer reemphasized the offensive line depth as its leader goes to the IR.
Dallas Cowboys star offensive lineman Tyler Smith is scheduled to have surgery on his thumb Tuesday morning, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer in his first game week press conference of the new season.
Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, has started all 63 games he's appeared in, predominantly at left guard, since he was taken with the No. 24 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Last offseason, Smith signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension to make him one of the league's highest-paid offensive guards.
Smith will miss at least the Cowboys' first four games as he lands on the Injured Reserve - Designated to Return list.
Dallas opens its season on Sunday Night Football at the New York Giants on Sep. 13.
"Something he's just been dealing with," Schottenheimer said about Smith's injury. "Just at the end of the day, felt like [he] couldn't do the things he needed to do at a high level."
Schottenheimer mentioned that there was no exact moment when Smith suffered the injury, but that it had lingered throughout the end of training camp and during preseason (though Smith was inactive in each of the three preseason games).
"He’s such a tough guy," Schottenheimer said. "I can’t say enough about Tyler. 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 hey, the best thing’s to get in front of this thing, and it’s a long season, so let’s go get it fixed.
"It's unfortunate, but that's why we coveted T.J. Bass."
Bass, a fourth-year Cowboy, has long been Dallas' top interior offensive line reserve. Last season, he spent several games at center while filling in for injured starter Cooper Beebe.
"He's played a lot of good football for us, and we expect him to continue to do so," Schottenheimer said of Bass.
"Tyler Smith’s a great player, but we feel really confident in TJ, and he’s put great film on here. He’s played next to Cooper Beebe. He’s played next to Guyton, so that’s nothing new, the communication and all this stuff. But at the end of the day, we tendered him the way we tendered him because we trust this guy as a football player. And he’s a damn good football player that unfortunately is just playing behind a lot of really, really good players. And so we have great confidence in TJ."
Bass has made 10 starts across 48 appearances with the Cowboys. He was re-signed on a second-round tender contract this past offseason to remain in Dallas at $5.76 million in 2026.
"Offensive line play is tied together," Schottenheimer says, avoiding to say how Smith's injury puts added pressure on Beebe or starting left tackle Tyler Guyton.
"We've gone into games with four new starters on the offensive line. I'm very, very confident that this group will play well against a really good front."
While not the All-Pro talent Smith is, Bass' production will be incredibly valuable for a Cowboys offense going against the Giants' elite front seven that features the likes of Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, DJ Reader and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Dallas made other changes to the offensive line room by trading for former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Broderick Jones, who is now in competition with Terence Steele for the starting right tackle spot.
Schottenheimer mentioned that Jones has been doing "an awesome job" getting acclimated with the team and learning the system.
"We've gotten a lot more athletic overall as an offensive line unit," the coach said.
