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For the Dallas Cowboys, losing a player of Tyron Smith’s caliber will have a major impact on the whole team. Smith has been one of the best in his position over the course of his career. The eight-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman suffered a torn left hamstring injury in practice.
The two-time first-team All-Pro was injured on a running play and fell to the turf as he tried to make a block on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Smith walked to the locker room without any assistance and preliminary tests showed that the ACL in his left knee was unharmed.
Tyron Smith injury update
Smith is expected to get an MRI on his left hamstring to reveal the severity of the injury and the timeframe for recovery. His injury history throughout his career has been well documented, given that he has missed at least three games every year since the 2016 season. The majority of his injuries have been to his knee, neck and back. Now the Cowboys can only hope for the best regarding his MRI.
What is the recovery time for a torn hamstring?
The recovery time for a torn hamstring is dependent upon what grade the injury is. A grade one injury to the hamstring is a mild one that can be cured within a few weeks. A grade two injury is usually a slight tear in the muscle. People with this injury will walk with a limp and have periodic stabs of pain during activity. A grade three injury is serious. The muscle is entirely ripped up or a lump of muscle tissue is torn. This can take months to recover from.
Dallas will hope that the torn hamstring is closer to a grade two as opposed to a grade three. However, it could likely be the latter as initial reports have him missing months. The next problem for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is replacing Smith.
Potential replacements for Cowboys OT Tyron Smith
Replacing Tyron Smith is a tall task, but the Cowboys have a few options on their roster already. Particularly Josh Ball and Matt Waletzko. Ball was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and plays at right tackle.
Waletzko, who is Smith’s backup at left tackle, was drafted this year in the fifth round out of North Dakota. Dallas could also turn to Tyler Smith, their first-round pick in this year’s draft out of Tulsa. He has played at left guard this offseason.
Another option is to look outside the organization. They may look into signing free agent left tackle Eric Fisher, who played last season with the Indianapolis Colts. Fisher was the number one overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played his first eight seasons in the NFL.
We’ll see what route the Cowboys take to replace Tyron Smith, as the regular season inches closer.
