Tyler Smith Thumb Surgery; Cowboys IR 4-6 Weeks

Tyler Smith is getting left-thumb surgery Tuesday and heading to injured reserve. The Cowboys Pro Bowl left guard will miss at least the first four games of the season after trying to play through a ligament tear, per ESPN, NFL.com, and the club.

Dallas opens Sunday night against the Giants without its cornerstone up front. T.J. Bass steps into the starting job while Smith targets a return no earlier than Oct. 8.

IR timeline, Bucs earliest

Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Smith will be placed on IR with a designation to return, which locks in a four-game minimum. The earliest he could be activated is Week 5 against Tampa Bay on Thursday night, a short week. Week 6 at Green Bay on Sunday night is the cleaner window if the thumb needs more time.

"Unfortunately, when you're an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important," Schottenheimer said Monday, per ESPN. "We know he's a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed."

Smith, 25, tried different ways to protect the joint through camp. Surgery to repair the ligament became the call once the club accepted he could not play at the level they need for a long season.

Bass takes left guard

Bass, a four-year undrafted veteran with 10 career starts, gets the nod. Dallas valued him enough to hit him with a second-round restricted free agent tender worth $5.7 million this spring. Schottenheimer pointed to Bass's reps next to center Cooper Beebe and left tackle Tyler Guyton as the reason the communication will not be brand new.

Smith has made three straight Pro Bowls, joining Larry Allen and Zack Martin as the only Cowboys guards with three Pro Bowls in their first four seasons. He dressed but did not play one game in 2025 with a knee issue and one in 2024 with an ankle. February already brought a clean-up procedure on his right knee.

Sunday night against New York is the first test without him. Bass gets the rock at left guard, Smith gets the thumb fixed, and Dallas bets four to six weeks now buys a healthier Pro Bowl guard for the stretch run.