Tyron Smith has taken an important step closer to his return from a nasty preseason hamstring injury,
though he’s still several weeks away from making his 2022 debut.
The eight-time Pro Bowler was seen working on resistance cords with Britt Brown,
the Cowboys’ director of rehabilitation, on Thursday.
He’s not yet been activated to officially practice with the team,
but the development shows good progress in that direction for the veteran, who will turn 32 next month.
Just before the start of the season, Smith suffered an avulsion fracture of the knee.
That means the hamstring tendon that sits at the back of the knee was ripped off the bone.
Early reports suggested that he might be available for a December return, a timeline that now seems to be playing out as accurate.
Once the Cowboys open Smith’s practice window, they’ll have 21 days to move him to the active roster,
but, as ESPN’s Todd Archer points out, it seems unlikely that would happen until after Thanksgiving,
given the abnormal practice schedule surrounding the holiday.
The team has no real need to rush the former first-round pick back, as rookie Tyler Smith has played very well at left tackle
. It’s not known how the return of the elder Smith will impact the assignments along the offensive line,
but the younger Smith had spent most of training camp at left guard- alongside Tyron- before his injury.