Expectations for the Dallas Cowboys’ offense are high entering 2026 after the team finished second in the NFL in yards per game (391.9) last season and scored 471 points, the fourth-most in franchise history. Brian Schottenheimer begins his second season as head coach and playcaller with Dak Prescott, receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, 1,000-yard rusher Javonte Williams and tight end Jake Ferguson in the skill positions, a Pro Bowler at left guard in Tyler Smith and last year’s first-round pick Tyler Booker at right guard.
Much of the projection for improvement hinges on the play at left tackle, where 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton remains under scrutiny. If Guyton can answer questions at the position, the Cowboys believe the running game can flourish and the passing game remain potent, and the team would avoid reconfiguring the line by moving Smith to tackle, a switch Smith does not favor.
Guyton has taken part in 25 of 34 possible games, starting 21, including all 10 games the Cowboys played in 2025. Injuries have been a factor: he missed two games as a rookie with knee and shoulder issues; a feared ACL tear in a later training camp was diagnosed as a broken bone that sidelined him from practice for about a month; he started the season opener but struggled early; enjoyed a five-game stretch of solid play before a high ankle sprain cost him the final six games of the season; and he also missed a game with a concussion.
Consistency, rather than availability alone, has been the larger concern. That irregular play prevented Guyton from unseating veteran Chuma Edoga for a spell as a rookie, and he enters camp in competition with Nate Thomas, a seventh-round pick in 2024. “We’re going to make Tyler earn it,” Schottenheimer said.
Both coach and player described a focused offseason. Guyton said the approach is simple: “Same equation: Come to work every day and get better.” Schottenheimer praised Guyton’s athleticism — calling him “very talented” and “maybe one of the most athletic big men” he has coached — while noting the player must show more consistency. Tyron Smith has been a regular presence at The Star, passing on experience to the offensive line, and Guyton said he has been trying to add strength and learn from the veteran.
