Cowboys early OL injury reminiscent of scary 2022 start

The Dallas Cowboys made changes across their team in hopes that it would help them finally reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995. On paper, they certainly have the talent to give the Philadelphia Eagles a fight for the NFC East title. But, the last thing they needed was an injury to their most important aspect -- the offensive line.

On Monday, the Cowboys saw starting left guard Tyler Smith leave practice due to "hamstring discomfort." This comes six days before Dallas opens up their season against the rival New York Giants. However, the Cowboys believe that the injury is a minor issue.

Cowboys starting left guard Tyler Smith leaves practice due to hamstring issue

Cowboys fans want to see if Smith will be available for their next practice. However, that answer won't come on Tuesday, since the team will be off. Their next chance to see if Smith was practicing is on Wednesday.

Hearing a starting offensive lineman suffering a hamstring injury just before the start of the season sent Cowboys fans into a frenzy. Let's not forget that last year, left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring late in training camp, forcing him to miss the majority of the 2022 season. Smith would return for Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and play the rest of the campaign, including the playoffs.

Last year, Tyler Smith moved over from guard to left tackle to fill in for the former eight-time Pro Bowler. The 2022 24th-overall pick played 1,144 snaps (99 percent of Dallas' total offensive snaps), where he was called for 13 penalties and allowed six sacks, per Pro Football Focus.

We should get a better idea later this week if Smith is going to be cleared to play a full game, or if he will be limited for the game or outright be ruled out. If the latter is the case, then fifth-round pick Asim Richards and undrafted free agent T.J. Bass could slot in, as they are the only guards left on the depth chart.