Last season, Smith moonlighted at left tackle, leading some to think the star guard could make the move permanently, but will he?
There were a lot of things that were head-scratching about the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 season, but perhaps one that topped the list was what the coaching staff did with Tyler Smith.
A three-time Pro Bowl left guard, Smith has made his name as one of the best interior linemen in the NFL, but as the Cowboys' season was slipping away late in the year, head coach Brian Schottenheimer made an interesting decision, partly due to injuries.
Smith, who starred at left guard, was pushed out to left tackle, where he would play 203 snaps as Dak Prescott's blindside protector, and of course, he locked down that side of the offensive line.
But now comes the very real conversation about where Dallas will play Smith in 2026, at left guard or left tackle?
Tyler made his feelings clear on the position switch, and he wasn't exactly a fan of the move.
"I mean, bro, like, I'm an All-Pro guard," Smith said via ESPN back in January. "You feel me? That's the simple truth, just looking at stuff purely off of facts. So we'll see what happens. We'll have those conversations and kind of see where everybody is at."
So the conversation became how do the Cowboys approach potentially kicking out their star guard to tackle?
Well, according to Smith, talks have already taken place, and if you read between the lines, a decision might have already been made.
"We had great conversations about it," Smith said. "I have an understanding of what it is. That's the most I can ask for is just to have that understanding early on. Obviously, I got the utmost faith that we're going to go out there and we're going to do what we're going to do.
"Ultimately, I'll be in the position that I need to be in. So, I'm good with where we're at."
It will be interesting to see if this left tackle thing is a little experiment to be used in an emergency, as it was last season, or if the Cowboys genuinely want to make Smith a left tackle.
It can be easy to forget that Tyler was actually drafted to be Tyron Smith's replacement at left tackle, but was moved inside and has dominated ever since.
And I get the sense that come Week 1 of the 2026 season, Smith will slot in at his left guard spot.
