The Dallas Cowboys will not place Jaylon Smith on injured reserve.
Former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith tore the anterior and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee during his final collegiate game against Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Prior to his gruesome injury, Smith was unanimously considered a first round pick by NFL scouts, but fell to the Cowboys at 34th-overall in the second round.
A torn ACL generally needs a year to fully recover, meaning Smith will not be ready to play until January 2017 and will miss the entire regular season. However, Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones will not place his newest linebacker on injured reserve, hoping Smith will be able to contribute in the playoffs. Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas saying, “We will not IR him. We’ll take a chance he’ll be back for the playoffs,” per NBC Sports.
Team physician, Dr. Dan Cooper, performed the surgery on Smith, which is why the Cowboys felt comfortable drafting him and maybe the reason for the team’s optimism in his recovery time. When asked about playing this year Jaylon Smith confidently said, “Absolutely. Never doubt God.”
After finishing last in the NFC East with a 4-12 record in 2015, Jones is clearly optimistic about the upcoming season as he is already making plans for the postseason. This isn’t the first time the owner, president, and general manager of “America’s Team” has done something like this. Just last year, Jones would not put quarterback Tony Romo on the IR after his second clavicle injury of the season on Thanksgiving due to delusions of grandeur.
While on the outside Jones may seem over-assuming and unrealistic, his players likely appreciate his belief in them and enjoy playing with the star on the side of their helmet.
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