Cowboys 'Favorable' MRI on Tyron Smith; Status for Patriots?

"He's planning on playing on Sunday,'' a source tells CowboysSI.com.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys on Thursday added All-Pro offensive tackle Tyron Smith to the official NFL injury report, listing him as “limited,'' and then, despite the fact that he practiced at some level at The Star as the 4-1 Cowboys prepare for Sunday’s game at New England, as first reported by Bryan Broaddus of the “GBag Nation” on 105.3 The Fan, the club has scheduled a Thursday MRI for Smith.

Sources told CowboysSI.com that while (as of 7:42 p.m. Thursday) the team did not yet have the MRI results, the medical staff has a positive feeling about what the MRI will show, and has a positive feeling about Smith's availability this week and going forward.

"He's planning on playing on Sunday,'' a source told CowboysSI.com.

And on Friday morning? The team announced here at The Star that the MRI results on the neck were "favorable," and that while continue to be evaluated and will not practice today, he is expected to be listed as "questionable'' but will indeed play.

Coach Mike McCarthy said, "It was a no-brainer to have it checked out" after Smith felt what might be classified as a "stinger'' during the Thursday workout.

As noted earlier on Thursday, the "concern level'' always exists any time a player is driven toward getting an MRI. But one source tells CowboysSI.com that this neck issue - whatever it is - "falls into the category of 'manageable.'''

"We fully expect it to be manageable,'' a source said.

Smith has said that the 2020 neck surgery, which caused him to miss all but Dallas’ first two games, was freeing.

"It's been a while since I've felt this good," Smith said at the start of the season. "I don't know if you guys saw, but I usually have the huge Cowboy neck roll on. I finally took that off. The neck's feeling normal now."

Maybe now it is something slightly less than "normal.'' Maybe "manageable'' means more rest and caution. But the Cowboys and Tyron Smith expect it all to come together in a way that keeps him on the field in New England ... and beyond.

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