Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys’ Tyler Smith suffers torn plantar fascia in his foot, but it’s actually not bad news

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Jimmy Wright | Last updated 12/31/23

Typically, when news breaks that a player completely tore something in his foot, it’s bad news. Not so for Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith, who got some good news despite the update sounding scary.

In the Cowboys’ 20-19 win over the Detroit Lions, Smith is believed to have completely torn the plantar fascia in his foot, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Which is apparently good news for Smith.

Often, partial tears are worse for players. A partial tear can keep a player sidelined for several weeks, which is why a full tear is considered to be the preferred outcome, as it provides immediate relief.

Good outcome for Smith, Cowboys

Smith went down in the third quarter and grabbed for his foot. The second-year guard out of Tulsa entered the medical tent and did not return to the game, although he was moving around without assistance. An MRI conducted on Sunday confirmed that Smith had suffered a full tear of the plantar fascia.

Despite the severe sounding nature of the injury, Smith didn’t lose any strength in his foot and felt he could have returned to the game.

The standout on the Cowboys’ offensive line is not expected to miss significant time because of the injury. In fact, the team isn’t ruling him out for the Week 18 finale against the Washington Commanders yet. Dallas can still win the NFC East with a win, along with the Philadelphia Eagles losing one of their remaining two games.

Smith was replaced on Saturday by undrafted rookie T.J. Bass, who would be in line to start if Smith is unable to go next week.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: