RT Terence Steele out for season; Will Dallas Cowboys go with 40-year-old Jason Peters

With right tackle Terence Steele officially out of the season after tearing his MCL and ACL in the 27-23 victory against the Houston Texans Sunday, the question now is who do the Dallas Cowboys turn to as his replacement.

Second-year tackle Josh Ball was the immediate fill in Sunday, offering a mediocre-to-bad showing in his first real test. But after Ball gave up a sack and then a pressure that led to an interception in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys turned to 40-year-old Jason Peters to play right tackle on the final 98-yard game-winning drive.

Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowler at left tackle who had not played right tackle since his rookie season in 2005 with the Buffalo Bills and who had no practice reps at the position, was darn near flawless.

But one drive is not a full game. He held up for 11 plays, can his body hold up for 60 plays in back to back to back games at this point in his career?

Four games remain in the regular season with the playoffs on the docket for the 10-3 Cowboys.

Those are questions the Cowboys must answer as they decide how they are going to proceed in Steele’s absence. Steele was in the midst of the finest season of his career. He was crucial to the ground game as a superb run blocker.

Peters seems to be the most obvious choice. But the Cowboys could try to continue develop Ball, go with former TCU product Aviante Collins.

Owner Jerry Jones said Sunday night that there was no chance of Tyron Smith or Tyler Smith moving to the right side.

Rookie Tyler Smith has started at left tackle all season after Tyron Smith suffered an avulsion fracture in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve. Tyron Smith is expected to return this week with the plan at some point to move him back into the lineup at left tackle and kick Tyler Smith inside to left guard in place of Connor McGovern.