Dallas Cowboys need to have a very complicated conversation following feared Tyler Guyton's season-ending injury (Update: No ACL injury)
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Todd Archer, an MRI has confirmed Tyler Guyton's ACL is intact. He has a bone fracture that won't require surgery. Guyton is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Naturally, the opinion in this article has changed. It didn't take long for the Dallas Cowboys to be reminded of how painful a […]
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Todd Archer, an MRI has confirmed Tyler Guyton's ACL is intact. He has a bone fracture that won't require surgery. Guyton is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Naturally, the opinion in this article has changed.
It didn't take long for the Dallas Cowboys to be reminded of how painful a simple training camp practice can turn out to be: Starting left tackle Tyler Guyton is feared to have torn his ACL during Tuesday's team drills, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
It's a massive blow for the Cowboys offense, especially considering Guyton appeared much improved through the first two padded practices of the year. The second-year tackle spent the offseason working with franchise legend Tyron Smith and private coach Duke Manyweather to improve on his technique. The results were showing early on in Oxnard, California.
Though the Cowboys await MRI results for confirmation, Guyton is expected to miss the 2025 NFL season. That puts head coach Brian Schottenheimer and staff in a very complicated spot, and it might lead to an even tougher conversation.
The plan to replace Tyler Guyton might start with Tyler Smith
I will be the first to say I am not a fan of this idea, but it's tough to argue there's a better alternative. In Tyler Smith, the Cowboys have a player with the potential to be the team's next Zack Martin: A dominant interior lineman who finds himself in the All-Pro conversation year in and year out. NFL execs, coaches, and scouts recently ranked him as the second-best player among guards and centers.
And yet, the Cowboys know he can also play left tackle, albeit in less dominant fashion. Is the risk of kicking him outside worth it, considering the team has better depth inside than it does at offensive tackle?
The alternative, barring any signings or trades, appears to be Asim Richards, who played decent football in limited playing time as a backup tackle for the Cowboys last year. At the end of the day, it will be up to Schottenheimer, offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, and offensive line coach Conor Riley to decide on what they prefer: Securing quality tackle play while downgrading at tackle, or staying dominant inside while risking trouble on Dak Prescott's blindside.
It's not an easy decision. Even less so while the team seemingly negotiates a long-term deal with Smith that could be worth over $90 million. Either way, a decision must come fast as the season inches closer and closer.
