Dallas Cowboys Designate Left Tackle to Return From IR

The Dallas Cowboys scored a season-high 54 points in a Sunday Night Football demolition of the Indianapolis Colts last night, and their offense may jump another level in the coming weeks. The team will activate left tackle Tyron Smith's 21-day practice window on Wednesday, making him eligible to return to game action as soon as this week.

The Cowboys will open the practice window for Tyron Smith on Wednesday. There will be no padded practice this week but Smith’s return would be a boost.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) December 5, 2022

Smith has missed the first 12 games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury suffered during training camp. Rookie first-round pick Tyler Smith has started at left tackle in his stead, earning a modest 64.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.

Tyron Smith is an eight-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and future Hall of Famer. His return should prove a massive addition to a Cowboys offense that's already on a massive hot streak. They have scored 37.2 points per game since quarterback Dak Prescott returned to the starting lineup in Week 7. Prescott missed five games this year with a thumb injury.

Smith initially joined the Cowboys as their ninth-overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and has dominated for the team ever since. He has been an important, unsung contributor to several meaningful Cowboys achievements, including running back Ezekiel Elliot's rushing titles in 2016 and 2018 and the team's top finish in points scored last year. He earned an elite 91.4 overall grade from PFF over his 11 games in 2021.