Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith underwent surgery Friday to repair an avulsion fracture of his left knee. The surgery reattached a torn hamstring tendon to his knee.
Smith could return as early as December. The Cowboys plan to include him on their initial 53-player roster before placing him on injured reserve, allowing for a late-season return, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports.
“I feel bad for Tyron,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Thursday, via Gehlken. “Why I do so much is because of how bad Tyron feels for how this affects the team. . . .We’ll have him back for the playoffs. That’s a long way away. That’s putting a positive spin on it, but it also just happens to be the facts.”
Smith was injured in Wednesday’s practice on minimal contact from linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Smith has not played every game in a season since 2015. He has missed 32 games the past six seasons, including six in 2021.
The Cowboys plan to start first-round draft selection Tyler Smith, who was competing for the starting left guard job but was a three-year starter at left tackle in college.