Andrew Buller-Russ
Even though they haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season, the Dallas Cowboys enter every year with championship aspirations. Those are the expectations set forth by team owner Jerry Jones. Although the Cowboys missed the postseason in 2025, once again, the belief is that they can not only return to playoff football again in 2026, but that they can win an elimination game for the first time since 2023.
To do so, the Cowboys will need almost everything to go right. Yet, they enter training camp with some questions, including a pretty big one.
Cowboys Left Tackle Battle Bears Watching
This will be Brian Schottenheimer’s second season as head coach of the Cowboys. The team’s former offensive coordinator managed to get the scoring attack back on track last season, finishing seventh in points. Much of the offseason was spent on bringing in potential impact defenders, which undoubtedly will help a defense that finished dead-last in scoring.
Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer believes the battle at left tackle between former first-round pick Tyler Guyton and 2024 seventh-round pick Nate Thomas will be crucial to the team’s overall success. If the Cowboys can find stability at left tackle, this team could be poised to do damage in what’s expected to once again be a competitive division.
“One of the biggest position battles in any camp is Tyler Guyton vs. Nate Thomas to be the Cowboys’ left tackle. If Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams can make that spot a strength, then the line can be the team’s foundation, and Dak Prescott will have everything he needs around him to have a career year. And with Christian Parker a potential difference-maker as defensive coordinator, Dallas would be positioned to take advantage of a wide-open NFC East.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Cowboys
The Cowboys invested a lot in Guyton, spending the 29th overall pick on him in 2024. Yet, three years later, after starting 21 of 25 appearances, he’s now fighting for his spot with the first-team offense. Though, credit to the 24-year-old Thomas for being able to stand out on the field, despite being a long shot who every team had several chances to add to their roster.
The 25-year-old Guyton has two years left on his contract, just as Thomas does. Chances are, whichever one ends up as the backup will continue to see work as a swing tackle with the first-team offense, but it’s just not the same as being a starter.
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