It’s going to be an un-happy new year for Dallas Cowboys fans.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed on Monday, Sept. 7 that offensive lineman Tyler Smith will be sidelined for four to six weeks because of thumb surgery.
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Smith, the 2023 second-team All-Pro, will have surgery Tuesday to correct an injury to his left thumb, per Schottenheimer. He will be placed on Injured Reserve (IR) with a designation to return. On IR, Smith will have to miss the minimum four games before he can return.
“We know he’s a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed and he’ll be back before too long,” Schottenheimer told reporters Monday.
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
When it comes to fan avidity, Bills Mafia reigns supreme. On the other hand, fans of the New York Jets and New York Giants have some work to do. According to the inaugural “Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index” from media audience research firm Nielsen, the Buffalo Bills have the best fandom in the league. Bills fans scored 208 on the new index, which takes into account eight key metrics, Nielsen announced in a press release. The key metrics, all from Nielsen’s own data are apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening, betting intent, and overall interest level. The firm noted that fanbases in Philadelphia and Cincinnati both ranked in the top five across several categories, which pushed Eagles and Bengals fans near the top of the index despite “neither lead[ing] a single metric outright.” New York 30
(Leslie Barbaro, NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network)
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
When it comes to fan avidity, Bills Mafia reigns supreme. On the other hand, fans of the New York Jets and New York Giants have some work to do. According to the inaugural “Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index” from media audience research firm Nielsen, the Buffalo Bills have the best fandom in the league. Bills fans scored 208 on the new index, which takes into account eight key metrics, Nielsen announced in a press release. The key metrics, all from Nielsen’s own data are apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening, betting intent, and overall interest level. The firm noted that fanbases in Philadelphia and Cincinnati both ranked in the top five across several categories, which pushed Eagles and Bengals fans near the top of the index despite “neither lead[ing] a single metric outright.” New York 30
(Leslie Barbaro, NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network)
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
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Nielsen ranks most passionate NFL fan bases, from worst to first
(Gregory Fisher, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Smith will be replaced by T.J. Bass, who played in 16 games (five starts) in 2025 for Dallas.
It’s an early blow to Dallas, which will play a host of tough defensive teams in the first month-plus of the season, including the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Weeks 3, 4 and 5.
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Waiting in Week 6 are the Green Bay Packers, who may return former Cowboy Micah Parsons from injury at that point.
The Cowboys open their 2026 schedule vs. the upstart New York Giants on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 1.
Tyler Smith injury update
The Cowboys’ All-Pro left guard was placed on IR with a designation to return, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Smith was dealing with a thumb injury, but opted to have surgery instead of playing through it. He will miss the minimum four games while on IR, with a return coming in four to six weeks, Schottenheimer said.
Dallas Cowboys 2026 schedule
Week 1 (Sept. 13): at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Week 3 (Sept. 27): vs. Baltimore Ravens (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Week 4 (Oct. 4): at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 5 (Oct. 8): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
Week 6 (Oct. 18): at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Week 8 (Nov. 1): vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 10 (Nov. 15): vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 11 (Nov. 22): vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 12 (Nov. 26): vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Thanksgiving), 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 13 (Dec. 7): at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
Week 15 (Dec. 20): at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Week 16 (Dec. 27): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Week 17 (Jan. 3): vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 18 (Jan. 9-10, 2027): at Washington Commanders, date/time TBD
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys lose star offensive lineman to injury days before season opener
