Tyler Guyton has a simple response to Dallas Cowboys’ announcement of open battle for left tackle job
The Dallas Cowboys’ left tackle job is up for grabs, per head coach Brian Schottenheimer. But for Tyler Guyton, all remains the same going into the regular season.
The biggest news from Dallas Cowboys OTAs so far? Head coach Brian Schottenheimer announcing there’s a competition going on for the starting left tackle spot.
Former first-round pick Tyler Guyton will have to earn his place in the starting lineup. His competition happens to be someone from the same draft class, former seventh-round pick Nate Thomas.
It’s not what you want to hear about a first-round pick, but Guyton’s response to the situation is a simple one. Let’s dive in.
Tyler Guyton’s reaction to left tackle battle
Guyton spoke to reporters on Thursday and was asked about his approach to a year in which he’s being asked to win the job. To him, nothing really changes.
“Same equation,” Guyton said. “Come to work every day, try to get better, prepare myself for the next day.”
Simple as that. And honestly? It’s the right way to look at things. Guyton may be feeling some pressure behind the scenes but he can’t control anything other than his own preparation and play on the field.
Schottenheimer said Thursday he expects the battle to bring out the best out of Guyton. The latter appears to agree.
“There’s obviously competition everywhere on the team,” Guyton added. “It’s a football team, and everybody wants to play. So friendly competition isn’t bad. It brings the best out of people.”
Guyton is seeking consistency
Perhaps one of the most worrying words to come out of Schottenheimer’s mouth when discussing Guyton was “consistency,” which he wants to see more of from Guyton. Cowboys fans will remember the same word was used a lot around running back Jaydon Blue last year, who shockingly spent most of the season as a healthy scratch.
With Guyton, it appears to be in a different context, as Schottenheimer even praised the tackle for his time spent in the facility. The Cowboys lineman talked about finding consistency, too.
“I think consistency is a whole thing,” Guyton explained. “You can’t just be consistent in one thing. It’s a lifestyle. Going to sleep on time has to be consistent. Your eating has to be consistent. How you’re training, how much work you’re putting in — everything has to be consistent. Your life has to revolve around consistency for you to be able to pull it off.”
Cowboys OT knows he must improve
Going into the 2026 NFL season, Guyton isn’t hiding the fact that he must continue to learn and improve.
“I feel like coming into the league, I had a lot to learn,” Guyton said. “I’ve learned some, I’ve gotten stronger, and I’ve gotten better at football. I’m learning more techniques and things like that. So it’s just a learning process, and I’m going to continue to try to advance for this next season.”
This is by far his most important offseason yet. But while OTAs may secure an early start for he or Thomas, nothing will be cleared up until the pads come on at Cowboys training camp in late July.