FRISCO, Texas — Tyler Smith was not on the field during the media’s viewing period of Dallas Cowboys practice on Monday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is scheduled to meet with reporters Monday afternoon.
Dallas opened its Week 1 preparation for the New York Giants with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” playing over the speakers, according to Harris, followed by Meek Mill and Future’s “Giving Chanel.”
Smith is the Cowboys’ starting left guard. Schottenheimer set that on the first day of training camp in Oxnard, California, on July 27, saying Smith would open at left guard and take some reps at tackle. Smith did not take a rep at tackle outside of walk-throughs this summer, and Schottenheimer said on Aug. 28 that Tyler Guyton‘s play at left tackle was the reason.
Tyler Smith’s Knee History And Dallas Cowboys Contract
Smith sustained a knee injury at training camp in August 2025 and appeared on the Cowboys’ injury report through much of the season, starting 16 games. He underwent minor cleanup surgery on his right knee in February, Todd Archer of ESPN reported at the time. He was back on the field for the start of camp in July.
Dallas held Smith out of the preseason finale on Aug. 28, a 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Guyton and right tackle Terence Steele also sat.
Smith was the 24th overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Tulsa. He started all 17 games as a rookie, 16 at left tackle and 1 at left guard, and was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team. He moved inside in 2023 and was voted second-team All-Pro that season. He has 63 starts in 63 career games and has been to three straight Pro Bowls. The last three of those starts came at left tackle, after Guyton went on injured reserve in December.
Smith signed a four-year, $96 million extension in September 2025 that included $81.2 million guaranteed and made him the highest-paid guard in the league at $24 million per season. The deal runs through 2030. Dallas restructured it in March, one of several moves that cleared roughly $19 million in cap space before Week 1.
Ajani Cornelius And The Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line Depth
Ajani Cornelius did not practice Monday because of a knee injury. He was also absent from practice on Sept. 2 and was seen doing rehab work on Sept. 1.
Dallas drafted Cornelius in the sixth round, 204th overall, in 2025 out of Oregon, where he arrived after three seasons at Rhode Island. He appeared in 1 game as a rookie and played 7 snaps on special teams before the Cowboys placed him on injured reserve on Nov. 17. They activated him on Feb. 15. Cornelius took reps at guard through camp and won a reserve interior spot over Nick Leverett and Trevor Keegan.
Guyton opened camp in a competition with Nathan Thomas and was named the starting left tackle after four padded practices in Oxnard. Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans for a 2027 seventh-round pick. Guyton has 21 starts in 25 career games. Dallas acquired Broderick Jones from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a late-August trade, and Schottenheimer said Jones would compete with Steele at right tackle.
The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 in 2025 and have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Dallas opens the regular season Sunday, Sept. 13, at the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
