Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton avoided the worst-case scenario despite initial fears of a torn ACL in his right knee. However, he didn't escape scot-free, with the official diagnosis reportedly being bone fracture. Surgery isn't required, though a 4-6 week recovery timeline awaits.
In other words, Guyton's status for Week 1 of the upcoming campaign is now in question. Dallas kicks off the 2025 regular season with a Thursday Night Football showdown against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles' ferocious pass rush group. They're set to meet on Sep. 4, which will mark roughly five weeks since he got hurt.
Cowboys first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged that the team "dodged a bullet," according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Yet, Guyton's injury still leaves them with a massive void to fill along their offensive line. But given that this isn't a long-term issue, they're ostensibly looking to get by with in-house replacements, namely 2024 seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas. That's a concerning development for franchise quarterback Dak Prescott and Dallas' scoring unit.
Tyler Guyton injury sets Cowboys offense up for failure
Schottenheimer said Thomas will get "some" opportunities with the Cowboys' first-team offense during Wednesday's training camp session (h/t the Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins). The sideline general praised Guyton's backup for playing with "great intensity" and having "nimble feet." Nonetheless, the rising second-year pro saw zero snaps as a rookie and could suddenly find himself thrust into a pivotal role for "America's Team." What can possibly go wrong?
Protecting Prescott's blindside is of the utmost priority for this squad to have any shot at exceeding its 7.5 expected win total this year. The Cowboys' defense isn't as good as it has been in recent seasons. With that in mind, they'll have to outscore their opponents to prevail, and that becomes much more difficult to execute with Thomas in the lineup.
Guyton isn't the best option, but he's the lesser of two evils compared to Thomas. The former's draft pedigree as a Day 1 selection and pass-protection potential validate that notion. Meanwhile, the latter has no reps as a pro and was among the last players taken in his draft class.
Thomas was a two-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, eventually landing with his home state Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. He manned the left tackle spot as a two-year starter in college. Be that as it may, many project him as a guard at the NFL level, and a long-term reserve. Frankly, how can the Cowboys trust him to keep Prescott upright?