EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns said the concern the Dallas Cowboys have shown at right tackle has registered inside the Giants defense, in comments made to reporters this week.
Terence Steele is listed as the starter on the Cowboys unofficial depth chart released Sept. 8, with Broderick Jones second. Dallas acquired Jones and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 29 for 2027 third- and sixth-round selections.
Both tackles are pros, and Burns is not looking to knock either man’s craft. What got the Giants’ attention was how concerned Dallas appeared to be about the position.
“I mean, opportunity lies within the game,” Burns said. “They’re both pros. Not to disrespect anybody’s craft or anything like that, but the fact that they are so concerned in that area does, I guess, raise some form of an alert in our minds, as far as like just knowing that they’re having struggles. … So we can definitely see that as an opportunity to exploit.”
Steele played 1,162 offensive snaps last season, 98% of the team total, and started all 17 games.
Terence Steele And Broderick Jones At Dallas Cowboys Right Tackle
Steele has not altered his work ethic or his mindset since the trade, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday.
“I think it’s one of those things that’s going to be ongoing. I think Terence Steele is the starting right tackle right now,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “Broderick’s here learning, doing an awesome job learning. And I think one thing we’ve done is we’ve gotten a lot more athletic overall as an offensive line unit.”
Out of Georgia, Jones went 14th overall in the 2023 draft. He has played 45 career games with 38 starts. A neck injury on Nov. 23 ended his season after 11 games and required spinal fusion surgery. He was cleared for football activities at the start of training camp. Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option on April 30, so Jones is playing out the final year of his rookie deal at a base salary of $1.5 million. Free agency comes in 2027.
At left guard, Tyler Smith had surgery on his left thumb Tuesday and went on injured reserve with a designation to return. The four- to six-week timeline puts his earliest possible return at Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 8. Smith dealt with ligament damage in the thumb through training camp and practiced with it into last week. The No. 24 overall pick in 2022, Smith has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons at left guard.
T.J. Bass starts in his place. Bass has 10 career starts, five of them last season. Dallas placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on him in the offseason and re-signed him on a one-year contract worth $5.8 million.
Smith could not do at a high level what the position required, Schottenheimer said, and grip strength is central to playing on the offensive line.
“Tyler Smith’s a great player, but we feel really confident in T.J., and he’s put great film on here,” Schottenheimer explained. “Offensive line play is tied together. We’ve gone into games with four new starters on the offensive line.”
“I’m very, very confident that this group will play well against a really good front,” Schottenheimer continued. “I have great confidence in T.J. Bass. He’s extremely bright, very physical, great athlete. He’ll do a marvelous job for us, I’m sure, stepping in.”
Brian Burns And The New York Giants Pass Rush
Burns had 16.5 sacks last season, second in the NFL. Across 17 starts he added 67 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 31 quarterback hits. He also forced three fumbles and defended seven passes. Burns made the Pro Bowl and the Associated Press second-team All-Pro team.
Abdul Carter, the third overall pick in 2025, had 4.0 sacks, 43 tackles, and 23 quarterback hits in 17 games with six starts as a rookie. Kayvon Thibodeaux had 2.5 sacks and 25 tackles in 10 games. Arvell Reese, the fifth overall pick in April’s draft out of Ohio State, is on the Week 1 roster at linebacker.
Sunday is the first game of John Harbaugh‘s tenure in New York. Harbaugh spent 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, where he went 180-113 in the regular season and won Super Bowl XLVII, before the Giants hired him in January.
Dallas won the September meeting between the teams 40-37 in overtime at AT&T Stadium. The Giants took the Jan. 4 rematch 34-17 at MetLife Stadium and finished 4-13.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 and allowed 511 points, the most in the league. Dallas scored 471 points. The Cowboys gained 6,663 yards, second-most in the NFL.
Dak Prescott named the offense GOTI, for Greatest Offense There Is, during the skill players’ offseason trip to Park City, Utah. Prescott threw for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season.
Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
