Cowboys Sign Nick Leverett After Placing Tyler Smith on IR
The Dallas Cowboys locked in interior line depth Wednesday, signing guard-center Nick Leverett off the practice squad after placing left guard Tyler Smith on injured reserve designated to return.
Smith had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday the three-time Pro Bowl guard would miss four to six weeks.
Under NFL injured-reserve rules, the designated-to-return tag keeps him out at least four games.
ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer first reported the Leverett promotion.
The Cowboys are signing OL Nick Leverett to the active roster from the practice squad, per source. With Tyler Smith (thumb) out 4-6 weeks, Leverett can serve as the backup interior lineman on gameday.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 9, 2026
Why Tyler Smith’s Thumb Ends the Grip, Not Just the Start
Smith is not a depth piece. He has started all 63 regular-season games of his career since Dallas took him 24th overall in 2022. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. Last September, he signed a four-year, $96 million extension that made him the league’s highest-paid guard at the time.
The injury is a torn thumb ligament. That matters at left guard in a way it does not at most other spots.
Smith’s job is to clamp a defensive tackle, hold the point on inside zone, and keep Dak Prescott’s launch point still; a torn ligament steals that clamp.
“Unfortunately, when you’re an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important.”
Smith tried to play through it. Schottenheimer told reporters in Frisco the club could not pinpoint when the damage started and that the group decided to “get in front of this thing.” Owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that Smith arrived at training camp in Oxnard with the injury and later “really exacerbated” it after the team returned to Frisco, Enfell reported.
Dr. Steven Shin performed the procedure in Los Angeles. Smith can return as early as the Oct. 8 Thursday night home game against Tampa Bay. A six-week recovery would push him toward the Oct. 18 game at Green Bay.
T.J. Bass Starts; Leverett Is the Gameday Spare
T.J. Bass, not Leverett, takes Smith’s starting job. Schottenheimer made that clear Monday. Bass, an undrafted free agent out of Oregon in 2023, has played 48 regular-season games and started 10, including five in 2025. Dallas used a second-round restricted free agent tender on him this offseason, committing $5.7 million.
Leverett’s role is insurance. The 29-year-old went undrafted out of Rice in 2020, started 10 games for Tampa Bay in 2022, and later played for the Patriots and Cardinals. Dallas signed him to the practice squad in November 2025, put him on a reserve/future deal in January, cut him at final cuts on Aug. 30, and brought him back to the practice squad the next day. He appeared in one game for the Cowboys last season. Career totals sit at 23 games and 11 starts.
That is veteran depth, not a $96 million replacement. Promoting him to the 53-man roster also avoids burning practice-squad elevations across a four-to-six-week absence. Blogging The Boys noted the promotion as the logical next step once Smith’s IR move opened a roster spot.
| Player | Week 1 role | Games (starts) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Smith | Out (IR-return) | 63 (63) | Pro Bowls in 2023-25; 2023 second-team All-Pro |
| T.J. Bass | Projected starting LG | 48 (10) | Five starts in 2025; second-round RFA tender |
| Nick Leverett | Backup interior OL | 23 (11) | Signed off practice squad Sept. 9 |
What the Line Looks Like Now
The expected Week 1 front, left to right, is Tyler Guyton, Bass, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele. Booker is the 2025 first-round right guard. Guyton is the 2024 first-round left tackle. Beebe is the 2024 third-round center. The edges are young and expensive. The middle is thinner without Smith.
Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is Sunday, Sept. 13, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. Dallas then draws Washington, Baltimore, and Houston before that Thursday night date with Tampa Bay — the first date Smith is eligible to return, as ESPN laid out.
After Leverett’s promotion, Archer reported the Tomlinson signing.
With Nick Leverett added to the 53-man roster, the Cowboys have signed veteran OL Laken Tomlinson to the practice squad. He has started 162 games for his career, including seven last year with Houston.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 9, 2026
The team later confirmed Tomlinson on its transactions page. The 12th-year guard has 162 career starts, including seven last season with Houston.
Whether Dallas elevates him Sunday remains a game-day decision, not a confirmed plan.
Smith will not be available to lock a defensive tackle in East Rutherford. Bass has started this job before. Leverett’s assignment is narrower: dress, know the calls, and keep the interior from going empty if Bass or Beebe limps off.
For a line built around Smith’s power, that is the entire Week 1 calculation.
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