Stephen Jones says Nate Thomas ‘probably’ starting LT until Tyler Guyton returns

Stephen Jones singles out Nate Thomas as possible LT1.

The Dallas Cowboys suffered what was believed at first to be a devastating blow when left tackle Tyler Guyton went down with a leg injury. Fortunately, it was just a bone fracture that will require a 4-6 week recovery as opposed to the feared torn ACL that would’ve ended his season.

Dallas is in a situation where they aren’t looking outside the building for options, especially with the slim pickings on the free agent market. Instead, an in-house player has been named as Guyton’s probable replacement. Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that 2024 seventh-round pick Nate Thomas will probably be the team’s starter at left tackle going forward.

He’s having a really good camp for us. He has exceeded expectations. He’s serious-minded about what he’s doing out there. We do feel like we have some good players there that can certainly do the job.

With his size at 6’4 and 330 lbs., Thomas was first seen as a guy that could battle for the right guard spot in the future once Zack Martin retired. He was placed on injured reserve due to knee tendonitis for his rookie year. So far in training camp, he’s turned heads as head coach Brian Schottenheimer pointed out last week.

A guy to watch out for is Nate Thomas. He’s doing great. He’s a guy we didn’t get to see a lot of football out of last year. He’s been great.

Guyton’s timeline will have him returning either for the Cowboys’ season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles or Week 2 when the New York Giants, with the latter being the likely route. Until then, Thomas will have a golden opportunity to show his worth on the roster.