Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season scare: Rookie Tyler Guyton's injury isn't season-ending, but the OL crisis looms. How will they protect Dak Prescott?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
One minute, the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 season was flashing before everyone's eyes. The next, a wave of relief. The MRI results for rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton are in, and in a stunning reversal of fortune, the first-round pick has avoided a dreaded ACL tear. While he's still sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a bone fracture, it’s a far cry from the season-ending catastrophe feared on Monday. The celebration is short-lived, however, as the focus immediately shifts to a dangerously thin offensive line tasked with protecting Dak Prescott.
Prayers up for my guy Tyler, we got your back!
The mood at training camp was grim when Tyler Guyton went down in a heap on Monday. Whispers of a torn ACL—a death knell for a rookie's season—spread like wildfire. But Tuesday brought the best news possible under the circumstances. An MRI confirmed Guyton's ACL is intact, revealing a bone fracture instead. While a 4-6 week absence is significant, it means the cornerstone left tackle should be back early in the regular season. The relief was palpable across social media, with teammates like Micah Parsons quickly posting their support. It's a testament to the tight-knit locker room, but also an acknowledgment of the bullet they just dodged.
Guyton's injury isn't an isolated incident; it's the latest blow to an offensive line unit that's already looking battered and bruised. Right tackle Terrence Steele is nursing a high ankle sprain (though he's expected back soon), and guard Robert Jones is out for significant time after breaking a bone in his neck. Suddenly, the Cowboys' 2024 draft strategy of loading up on offensive linemen like Guyton, Justin Rogers, and Nathan Thomas looks less like a luxury and more like a dire necessity. The front office's focus on building depth is being put to the ultimate test before a single preseason snap has been played.
With the starters sidelined, the spotlight now shines on the reserves. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and OL coach Mike Solari are already shuffling the deck in practice. Expect to see a heavy dose of Asim Richards, who is now penciled in as the starting left tackle in Guyton's absence. He'll be joined by rookie Tyler Booker, who will get a baptism by fire with increased first-team reps. McCarthy stressed the importance of flexibility in his morning press conference, but the reality is stark: the protection of the team's franchise quarterback now rests on the shoulders of players who were supposed to be developing, not starting.
For now, the Cowboys can exhale. A crisis was averted with Guyton's diagnosis. But the next 4-6 weeks will be critical. The team's depth will be stretched to its limit, and the performance of Richards and the rest of the patchwork line in the upcoming preseason opener against the Rams on August 9 will be under intense scrutiny. The Cowboys may have dodged one bullet, but they're still navigating a minefield on their way to Week 1.
