The Dallas Cowboys may have to make a run at the NFC East title without their star left tackle. Tyron Smith has missed practice this week with a bad back flare-up that has been underlying for much of the last several seasons.
Listed as questionable on the final Week 17 injury report before the club takes on the Washington Redskins, Smith will try to give it a go in pre-game warmups on Sunday, but the NFL Network’s Jane Slater is reporting he is not likely to make it into the afternoon’s game.
#Cowboys LT Tyron Smith is not expected to play today per sources. He missed 3 days of practice with a back injury. They’re still going to test it and have him go through drills in warmups similar to the approach for NY Jets game but remember he didn’t end up playing in that one
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) December 29, 2019
Dallas (7-8) has just a 28% chance of making the playoffs, needing both a win and a Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the New York Giants. Both games kick off at 3:25 p.m. Central time.
Smith, 29 and a nine-year veteran, missed Weeks 5 and 6 already making Week 17 the third game he’s missed in the 2019 season. He has only been on the field for 13 games each of the previous three seasons.
Cameron Fleming would start in Smith’s place, and the club has UDFA rookie backups Mitch Hyatt and Brandon Knight on the 53-man roster. One would likely be made active if Smith were made inactive as the new swing tackle. Hyatt was promoted from the practice squad last week to prevent another NFL club from poaching him, so the duty would likely fall on Knight to be active.
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