Cowboys’ Tyron Smith feeling good, eyeing first full season since 2015
Not long after the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyron Smith with the ninth-overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft, he established himself one of the best tackles in the sport. Unfortunately, during the latter part of the past decade, Smith has battled back and neck injuries that have robbed him of the ability to maintain his place on the mantle.
Smith never played less than 758 snaps in any season before 2020. However, his neck issue became too much to handle and he underwent season-ending surgery after playing just 154 snaps in two games over the first four weeks. After a successful procedure, the seven-time Pro Bowler is feeling the best he’s felt in a long time and has even got rid of the protective neck roll he’s worn for years.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good,” Smith said Thursday. “I don’t know if you guys saw, but I usually have the huge Cowboy neck roll on. I finally took that off. The neck’s feeling normal now.
“You can throw that thing away. I don’t want memories of that thing.”
Once upon a time, Smith was an ironman for the Cowboy’s offensive line unit. In his first five seasons, he started 79 of a possible 80 games. The last half-decade hasn’t been so kind to him as he missed exactly three games each season from 2015 to 2019. Now, after getting in his best shape in years and hopefully making his neck and back issues a thing of the past, Smith is ready for a full season of action.
“That’s the goal,” he said. I’m going to do my best to play all 17 games. And I will do it.”
The Cowboys offensive line struggled last season with Smith, Zack Martin, and La’el Collins missing 36 games combined. They put 13 different line combinations on the field and never showed the continuity that made them one of the best units in the NFL over the last several years. With all three back and in good health, all signs point to the Cowboys regaining their position in the offensive line pecking order.
Collins is currently nursing a neck stinger, which isn’t ideal, but there’s hope he’s good to go for the opener.
As Smith enters his 11th season in the league and having accomplished the things he has, many would think he would be content with his status in the game of football. That’s not the case with the four-time First-Team All-Pro selection. Instead, he plays like he hasn’t done enough, as he mentioned back in June.
“For me – I always say this every year, but it’s true. I’m still not at the point where I want to be,” Smtih said. “Every year it’s like I’m still trying to prove to everybody that I can still play and still be the best at my job. For me, it’s always that mindset. There’s always something to prove.”
Smith at one point was the best left tackle in the NFL. Although those days may be behind him, he’s still in the conversation when healthy, which the Cowboys are desperately hoping for in 2021, especially with him having the responsibility of protecting the blind side of quarterback Dak Prescott who’s making his own return from a season-ending ankle injury.
The former USC Trojan will put his surgically repaired neck to the test on September 9 against a very formidable defensive line that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers possess. If it holds up well that could set a great tone for Smith for the rest of the season.
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