Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith needs surgery to repair an avulsion fracture in his left knee and could miss 12 weeks, NFL Network reported.
Smith, 31, left Wednesday’s practice with what was thought to be a severe hamstring injury. Testing revealed the hamstring tendon behind the knee separated from the bone, creating the fracture, per reports.
Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, did not damage his ACL.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones conceded that Smith is expected to miss significant time due to the injury. That said, Jones expects Smith will be back in action in December and be a key contributor for what he hopes are more meaningful games in January.
“We just really found this out in the wee hours, but it’s a setback,” Jones said on ESPN. “You’ve got to take what you’re dealt and go on with him. We’ve got some good options. We’ve got a team around him. We’ve got a defense that is probably as strong as we’ve had in years. … We’ll have him, and we’ll have him at the right time. We’ll have him in that (playoff) game, the equivalent of it, that we had last year. And maybe we won’t fall short.”
Smith’s injury occurred during an 11-on-11 drill, when he buckled while attempting to make a block on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, according to multiple reports. Smith walked off the field, and he later walked out of the locker room without a limp and with no knee brace or sleeve, the Cowboys’ website reported.
“I was in pass protect, and all the sudden, I see him on the ground,” left guard Connor McGovern said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “I didn’t even care … where the ball was downfield. I instantly just went to him.
“You saw literally everyone on the offense, even defensive guys, running over there. When a guy like that goes down — it doesn’t even matter who it is, this team is so close. Everyone is trying to get over there and see if they’re all right and get them back up.”
Smith, 31, is a two-time All-Pro. In 11 seasons with the Cowboys, he has started all 144 games he has played. Neck surgery cost him all but two games in 2020, and ankle injuries and time on the COVID list limited him to 11 games last year.
–Field Level Media
