During August, Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith suffered an avulsion fracture of his left knee. Since then, he has been on injured reserve (IR) and is awaiting his designation to return to the active roster. His recovery has been slow, but he should be ready to practice in the near future.
The Cowboys are optimistic about Smith's recovery. He is only a few weeks away from getting back on the field, but he will still have a long way to go. In the meantime, the Cowboys will evaluate the veteran's progress before he returns to the 53-man roster.
Smith was first reported as having a hamstring tear, but his injury was more serious. After surgery, Smith had a torn tendon reattached to his left knee. In Week 4, he did not look himself in the game against San Francisco, but he did record five tackles.
Smith has spent the last eight weeks on IR, but he is expected to return to practice this week. He is a candidate for activation in the upcoming game against the Texans, and may also play for Dallas during the final weeks of the regular season. Whether or not he makes his way back to the active roster will depend on how the Cowboys' offensive line looks in the coming months.
While Smith is expected to take on Tyrone Smith the left tackle role once he comes back, the Cowboys will likely have to decide how to adjust their offensive line. They could have Connor McGovern take over the LG spot, or Jason Peters could move to the swing tackle position. Depending on how Smith performs, it is possible he will also be moved to the left guard position.
Smith is a great player and one of the best left tackles in the NFL era. He earned eight Pro Bowl nods during his career, and is almost certain to make it into the Hall of Fame. He was also one of the drivers of the Cowboys' three rushing titles in five seasons. He is also an important contributor on special teams, and has been an important part of the team's transition to defensive line.
The Cowboys have been playing beyond expectations this season. Their starting five has played every single snap this season, and has allowed zero sacks and seven pressures. They have also been able to run the ball at a 79.1% win rate, which is the best in the NFL. They have been beating the opposition consistently in the first half of games.
If Smith is unable to make it back in time for Week 8, then he should be eligible to participate in Week 5. According to renegotiated rules, Smith should be able to play in Week 5 of the season, which means he could be back in the mix for the Texans in the season finale. The Cowboys may be tempted to keep him on IR until December, though they could evaluate his progress before putting him back on the active roster.
0 Comment to "Tyrone Smith on Injured Reserve"
Post a Comment