Reports regarding Dallas Cowboys All-Pro offensive lineman
Tyler Smith and knee tendinitis center almost entirely on his
right knee, which flared up during 2025 training camp, lingered into the regular season, and ultimately required off-season arthroscopic surgery in February 2026. [
1,
2]
The full timeline and details reported on his knee issues and related leg health outline the following progression:
1. Training Camp Onset (July–August 2025)
The issue first became public during training camp in Oxnard, California. On July 31, 2025, Smith pulled himself out of team drills and headed to the locker room. [
1,
2]
- Team owner Jerry Jones characterized the exit as a precaution due to knee tendinitis.
- Smith told reporters he felt "fine", and head coach Brian Schottenheimer stated the subsequent missed practice time was primarily for maintenance to keep the knee from swelling under high camp workloads. [1, 2, 3]
2. In-Season Management (2025 NFL Regular Season)
Smith managed chronic soreness in the joint for the remainder of the year. While he appeared on Dallas's injury report across multiple weeks, the team opted to manage the inflammation with planned rest days and reduced practice reps rather than placing him on injured reserve: [1,
2,
3]
- Smith was active but held out of a Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets specifically due to the knee.
- Despite the tendinitis, he started 16 regular-season games in 2025 and earned his third career Pro Bowl nod. [1, 2, 3]
3. Arthroscopic Right Knee Cleanup (February 2026)
Following the 2025 season and after participating in the Pro Bowl, Smith underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure on his right knee to clean up the joint tissue and relieve the persistent inflammation: [
1,
2]
- As reported by Todd Archer on ESPN via Yahoo Sports, “Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after the Pro Bowl.”
- He completed his rehab in time to participate in the offseason program. [1]
Context on the Left Leg vs. Right Leg
If you have heard reports linking Tyler Smith's
left leg to lower-body medical stories, they generally refer to two distinct non-tendinitis issues:
- Blount’s Disease (Adolescence / Left Leg): When Smith was 16, Cook Children’s orthopedic surgeons performed a corrective osteotomy on his left shinbone to straighten severe curvature caused by Blount's disease. [1]
- Confusion with Tyron Smith (Left Knee Hamstring Avulsion): In late August 2022, veteran left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a severe avulsion tear of his left hamstring tendon behind the knee, an injury that forced the rookie Tyler Smith to move from guard to starting left tackle.