Blind Faith: Should Dallas Cowboys IR - Or Cut - Injured Tyron Smith?

The Dallas Cowboys have been loyal to long-time left tackle Tyron Smith, perhaps to a fault. Is it time to consider a roster move?

At the height of his powers, Tyron Smith of the Dallas Cowboys was perhaps the best left tackle in the NFL, making eight Pro Bowl appearances and being selected to the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team. But the 32-year-old has struggled through three consecutive injury-riddled seasons, and after missing consecutive games, it's fair to wonder if this version of Tyron is just who he is now. 

The last time that Smith played every game in a season was back in 2015. Between 2020 and 2022, Smith played in just 17 of a possible 50 regular-season games, with a neck injury among a slew of ailments that derailed seasons that perhaps would have further cemented his place as a future Hall of Famer. 

Nonetheless, the Cowboys elected to bring Smith back for a 13th season, and he's already missed two of a possible four games with a knee sprain. While coach Mike McCarthy had an optimistic tone when discussing Smith's status for Week 5 Monday - he could return to practice as a limited participant Wednesday - the veteran left tackle has hardly been written into the starting lineup in permanent marker. 

Can the Dallas Cowboys still count on Tyron Smith?  / USA Today

Cut Tyron? Dallas would actually waste $4 million in cap space by doing that, so it's not practical. Cowboys SOO Stephen Jones said this week that Dallas won't move Tyron to IR, either, because of the believe that he'll soon get healthy. But ...

If Smith isn't able to return for a Week 5 Sunday Night Football matchup with the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, that will leave the Cowboys undermanned as they try to slow a defensive line that includes Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave. Mind you, this is a game that could very well determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

The problem with Smith at this stage of his career is that if he's healthy, of course he's going to be the starting left tackle, he's one of the best players at his position over the last 20 years. But if he's in and out of the lineup, that leaves Dallas in roster limbo and scramble mode as they try to keep quarterback Dak Prescott upright, and get the most out of their running game. 

Last year's first-round pick Tyler Smith is a natural left tackle, but he's currently the starting left guard and it doesn't make a ton of sense to push him out to the blind side for a week or two if the expectation is the elder Smith will be back relatively soon. But in the meantime, you're stuck with a lesser player at arguably the second-most important position on the field, even if Chuma Edoga is a serviceable backup. 

In big games like Sunday, serviceable isn't enough, though. Obviously, the best iteration of the Cowboys includes Tyron at left tackle with Tyler at left guard. But if Tyron isn't able to return from this knee injury and remain on the field for the bulk of the 2023 campaign, Dallas will be left to ponder the future at left tackle after the season. If at this stage Tyron can't be counted on to play more than a few games every season, the best solution may be to push Tyler out to left tackle on a full-time basis, or draft another player more likely to stay on the field to protect Prescott. 

Tyron took a massive pay cut to stay with Dallas this year. He's "part of the Jones family,'' in a sense, as our Mike Fisher has written. He's a class act and he's a legend. But counting on him when he can't be counted on creates a sometimes-void ... that eventually will require a permanent fix.