Cowboys' Tyler Smith Drops Huge Injury Update On Playing Vs. Bucs

The good news keeps coming for the Dallas Cowboys after their 34-30 win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, as injury relief might be on the way.

With the Cowboys on a short week as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to AT&T Stadium on Thursday, seeing the treatment room empty might be a little hard...but not impossible.

And it appears that reinforcements could be on the way, with one big upgrade coming.

All-Pro guard Tyler Smith, who was dealing with a thumb issue, hasn't been sighted yet this season after tearing a ligament, but now he's edging closer to a return.

Smith was limited in practice today at The Star, and we have heard Stephen Jones' positive comments on 105.3 The Fan about a potential Smith return on Thursday.

READ MORE:  'Strongest Soldier' CeeDee Lamb Endorses Coach On Cowboys Historic Day

So, it is all trending in the right direction, but we have yet to hear from the All-Pro himself.

Until now.

“I think it's possible," Smith said on playing against Tampa Bay. "We're not ruling anything out. Obviously, this is limited reps this week just with a quick turnaround on Thursday, but we're going to do some work (Tuesday), kind of see how it feels.

"And then ultimately when I feel ready, when the coaches feel like I'm ready, it's boots on the ground, and we're rolling.”

So, the Cowboys have a big decision to make here.

READ MORE:  Upbeat Cowboys Report Card: 'GOTI' Grades For Explosion In Week 4 Win

Do they try to capitalize on the momentum gained from the Texans' win and put Smith back into the lineup against a tough Buccaneers defense, as the Tampa Bay offense has an undrafted quarterback, Jalon Daniels, in for Baker Mayfield?

Or, given that it is a short week, do the Cowboys sit Smith, and with a mini bye coming after Tampa Bay, give him more time to get fully healthy as the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles are next up?

Ideally, given how important Smith is to the Cowboys, not rushing him back is the best practice.

But the Buccaneers' defense hasn't given up more than 23 points in the last three games and has forced three turnovers in their last two outings while not losing by more than one score.

So maybe having Smith as extra insurance isn't such a bad idea.